BAGHDAD, Iraq - Chris Allen ran his first traditional marathon in a combat zone. To make it even more memorable, he won first place in his age group of 24 years and younger by finishing in a time of 3 hours, 19 minutes and 56 seconds.
The marathon Allen ran was held on Veterans Day. He and several other members of the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade joined runners from several nations, both military and civilian, in an event designed to foster camaraderie and physical fitness. The marathon was held in the International Zone, better known as the Green Zone, in Baghdad, Iraq, Nov. 11. Six 36th Combat Aviation Brigade Soldiers ran the full 26.2-mile course while others ran as part of five-person relay teams.
Allen, 22, is from Houston, and his only previous marathon experience was the Bataan Death March, which is an annual cross country race navigating the sand and rocks of New Mexico. He ran across that rugged terrain as a member of a team from the Missouri Army National Guard. This time, Allen represented Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 131st Aviation Regiment, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade. “I am thankful the unit allowed us to participate in the event,” he said. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be here and to show the Iraqi people freedom in action.”
The 449th Aviation Support Battalion Commander Travis Richards, from Hargill, Texas, encouraged as many of his Soldiers as possible to participate in the event. Richards led by example and ran one of the 5.24-mile legs in the relay. “To be able to be here in Baghdad on Veterans Day, and participate in this race is good for morale and builds team spirit,” Richards said. Three Soldiers from the 449th Aviation Support Battalion ran the full marathon and they fielded two relay teams. When asked why they chose to take the time to train for and run in a race while deployed, most of the Soldiers echoed the thoughts of Peter Taylor, San Marcos, Texas, when he said, “I want to experience everything I can in Iraq, and being here makes me feel that I am playing my part in the history of this country.”
Bradford Hughes, also with the 449th Aviation Support Battalion, ran the first leg of the relay, which started in pitch dark at 5 a.m. After leaving the illuminated starting line, they ran along a dimly-lit area for a mile, and then turned into the darkness of the city streets. “It looked eerie,” Hughes said, “and the race organizers had placed a few chemical lights along the way, but they were far apart, and volunteers were pointing the way on turns, but for the most part we had to rely on the lights of passing cars to be able to see.” After running in the dark in Baghdad on this chilly November morning, Hughes joked that he felt like he was running in the world’s most dangerous marathon.
Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment, captured first place in the relay portion of the race. The relay consisted of five members, with each running an equal distance and passing the team number to the next runner on their team. The official time for each team was recorded when the fifth runner crossed the finish line. The “Lebowski” team of Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment, finished in a winning time of 3 hours and 29 minutes. Team captain Alan Brodsky, from Denver, said, “We asked Soldiers in Company E who we knew ran well to be part of the team, and most of us trained for about three weeks due to the high operational tempo here.”
The awards for the winners in each category are made of marble cut from one of Saddam Hussein’s former palaces. “Team Lebowski” intends to machine-cut the marble plaque into five equal pieces so each Soldier has a memento of their accomplishment.
It is true that on this day set aside to remember American veterans, these Soldiers were honoring the memories of the servicemen and women who came before them. They were doing more than that however; by choosing to participate in this race, in this place, they demonstrated the true meaning of freedom. The American traditions of competition and camaraderie are alive and well in these patriots, even far from home, in a country still struggling to understand the meaning of freedom.