Page 23 - mch0418_Magazine

OUTDOOR REC

Participants Compete at Highest

Level at Gitmo MWR Running Events

n Jan. 27, 118 NS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, residents par-
Oticipated in the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR)
Annual Marathon and Half-Marathon. The marathon and half-
marathon took runners from the MWR Fitness Center and
Cooper Field along Sherman Avenue to the Northeast Gate, Nob
Hill, and Skyline Drive before heading back to Cooper Field.
Participants took many different avenues to prepare for
the event to ensure they could compete at their highest level.
Sally Anne Groomes, half-marathon first-place female
finisher and mother of two, typically runs about 40-50 miles
per week, but has been progressively increasing that to 60-
70 miles per week to better prepare for the race. “I have run
one full marathon and five half-marathons,” she said. “Even
in January, this race was quite a bit hotter than the others.
This is also my first half-marathon since I had my two kids!”
In contrast, some took the race a little more in stride. Pavlo
Demczur did very little to prepare for the race. “Per a friend’s
recommendation, I bought a running belt and some energy
chews the evening before the marathon,” he said. “I think I
did quite well for a first marathon with no preparation. My
goal was to finish the marathon and I accomplished that goal.”
The safety of participants and logistics are of utmost im-
portance when planning these types of events, according to
Jim Holbert, MWR assistant fitness director. “Heat is No. 1
and is why we start so early,” he said. Though the race got
under way at o-dark-hundred, the sun was well up in the sky
by the finish.
“Dehydration and cramping is the second, which is why
we have so many water stations and put fruit out on the route
in two locations — 500-meter gate and Nob Hill. We still
had a few marathon runners cramp up and had to drop out of
the event. Logistics:
working with multi-
ple departments and
making sure we have
the run set up.”
Chris Springer,
event participant and
half-marathon first-
place male finisher,

NS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
MWR Annual Marathon and Half-Marathon

Top Finishers for Each Category
Male Half-Marathon: Chris Springer, 1:23:14; Joseph
Dirocco, 1:44:41; Lucas McConaughey, 1:46:31.
Female Half-Marathon: Sally Anne Groomes, 1:40:42;
Celeste Dunlap, 1:47:33; Michelle Flash, 1:53:09.
Male Marathon: Zachary Ashley, 4:02:02; Eric Antwi,
4:15:54; Manuel Maya, 4:36:47.
Female Marathon: Kimberly Smith: 4:04:30, Joey Reed,
4:44:28; Danielle Barnett, 5:07:56.
Source: www.navy.mil

APRIL 2018 | MILITARY CLUB & HOSPITALITY 23