Air Force Marathon Champions
This time of year marathon races are happening all over the country. Millions of runners prepare for their big event with pre-race pasta dinners and packets of energy gels lining their spandex pockets. Months of training leads them to this point where running sequential miles in one stretch becomes a possibility. There’s excitement and a bit of trepidation leading up to the race, but the rise of personal grit to accomplish such a feat is inspiring.
Last weekend, my daughter, Kate ran the Air Force Half Marathon at Wright Patterson Air Force Base here in Dayton, Ohio. She’d been training for the 13-mile run for the past few months, and although she is a marathon veteran, this was her first encounter with the Air Force Marathon. I knew from her early morning messaging that she was especially moved by the pre-race pageantry and paratroopers waving American Flags as their parachutes fell from the sky.
Along with Kate’s family, my husband and I arrived an hour or so after she crossed the starting line in anticipation of tracking her progress and greeting her at the finish line. Entering the event space adjacent to the Air Force Museum was highly charged with excitement and accomplishment. Already there were those with 5K medals hanging around their necks wearing huge smiles of self-satisfaction. Air Force personnel in full uniform organized safe entry to the race sight. I felt especially proud of them and their commitment to our nation on behalf of us all. Simply being in the midst of such promising young men and women stirred me with pride.
Beneath a canopy of retired Air Force jet planes, we found our place near the finish line along with so many others who were waiting for their loved ones to appear from the far away bend in the course. The sideline crowd cheered with heightened enthusiasm giving fatigued runners encouragement as they made their way to the end. Some passed by with sustained strength; others appeared to struggle. This was anything but easy, but the collective crowd cheered for all. The runners’ restored strength was palpable as the finish line became visible. Spectators three and four rows deep celebrated the accomplishment of all runners. The whole experience was a reminder of the power of the individual human spirit, and how the support of community can lift us even when we threaten to falter.
The race participants provided an array of awesomeness. Those threatened by the heat and blazing sun found a way to carry on, redefining personal perseverance and resolve. Those in wheelchairs propelled themselves with the unbroken rhythm of circular propulsion. Their strength was relentless. My daughter recounted witnessing an older blind man and his younger companion running in tandem with synchronized stride. Their partnership exuded courage and possibility.
Every racer that crossed the finish line exemplified what it means to be a champion. For those like my daughter, time was secondary. When bodily conditioning meets mental and emotional tenacity in any length of marathon racing, victory reigns. They did it, and we were privy to the best of humanity.
The metaphors for life surrounded us the entire day. “You can do it,” is what we teach our young children. But for marathoners who come in all shapes and sizes, they first have to believe “I can do it,” which makes the rest of us believe in ourselves as well. Well done all of you who participated in the Air Force Marathon. We all have many winners in our midst.