Soldiers in Afghanistan hold their own marathon
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By KEN HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star
The 30th Lincoln Marathon, featuring a record 5,000-plus participants, is typically a one-day affair through the peaceful streets of Lincoln.
Lincoln’s marathon is known for its organization, fan and sponsor support and runner-friendly route.
But this year’s event got a different start.
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The 26.2-mile race, which begins at 7 a.m. Sunday in front of the NU Coliseum, actually started a week ago on the mine-free, dry, sandy and rocky soil around the U.S.-controlled Bagram air base near Kabul, Afghanistan.
Race organizers in Afghanistan couldn’t send out maps of the race course. Participants couldn’t tell organizers where they were, how they would get to the race or when.
“Security, you know,” said Lt. Sean Nixon of Sun River, Ore. “It was kind of a nightmare. Not at all like the Lincoln version. We’re still waiting for the results from Afghanistan, too.”
Nixon knows the difference. He has run in five Lincoln marathons, and during his recent year stationed in Afghanistan with the National Guard, he organized the marathon there to coincide with Lincoln’s annual event.
All participants will receive medals and T-shirts commemorating the event staged some 7,100 miles from Nebraska’s capital city.
“We were going to try and run the same day as the Lincoln race, but security and a couple of changes in the course led to a change of schedule,” said Nixon, who has returned to the States to prepare for the return of the rest of his unit later this month.
“We had some training areas inside our compound behind the 14-foot walls and some guys could get in a few miles running the half-mile course,” Nixon said. “We went to a new airfield for the race and had a 5k track to run the marathon. That’s a lot better than a half-mile over and over and over.”
Nixon turned the race organization over to Sgt. Seven Richard, a Guard member from New York.
“She had to scramble to get the race site and the people to the race, and last I heard, we had about 10 people running,” Nixon said. “They all finished.”
The participants, most involved with a unit charged with training the Afghan army, were given a bi-weekly training schedule to prepare for the marathon. Nixon sent out tips on nutrition and mental preparation, as well.
“I was all set to run, but when they told me I could could come back to the U.S., I didn’t wait around to run there,” he said. “But from what I heard, it was a positive experience.”
Meanwhile, back in Lincoln, a large number of the usual suspects are expected to compete for top honors in the marathon, which also serves as the trials for the National Guard Marathon Team.
Two-time defending women’s champion Christie Nielsen of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and 10-time women’s champion Roxi Erickson of Bartlett are back. Chris Kimbrough of Texas, a 37-year-old mother of four, hopes to meet the Olympic trial standard of 2 hours, 47 minutes. Melissa Schmidt of Wahoo also ranks among the top competitors in the women’s race.
Mike Morgan of the Hansons national select team and a former member of elite Team Nebraska is expected to be one of the top competitors in the half-marathon, along with former Nebraska Wesleyan standout Levi Ashley. Gina Morgan and Susan Weeder-Einspahr of Seward are expected to lead the women’s half-marathon field.
Lincoln’s Susan Scott and Ray Stevens, and Ron Olsen of South Sioux City are expected to run in their 30th consecutive Lincoln marathon.
Reach Ken Hambleton at 473-7313 or khambleton@journalstar.com.
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