Grissom personnel hit the pavement for a 'ghoulish' run Published Nov. 6, 2013 By Senior Airman Jami K. Lancette 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- As ghouls and goblins came out this Halloween, many Grissom personnel went running, but not because they were scared. Grissom Airmen and Marines beat feet in a 'Grissom Ghouls 5K' fun run Oct. 31 at the base fitness center here to kick off seasonal fun and camaraderie. "People on base were encouraged to dress up," explained Douglas Hays, 434th Air Refueling Wing public affairs superintendent. "There was a group of us that dressed up like Grissom's running instructor Zac Holmes to surprise him; he started laughing when he saw us." And, while many got into the spirit through costume, that wasn't the only thing that made the run interesting and seasonal as blustery northern Indiana fall weather came out in full-force, too. "It was an especially great run," said Patricia Latham, 434th ARW executive officer. "The weather made it all the more interesting because it was a bit blustery, which created more of an additional challenge, but I thought it was more enjoyable. "And, it was nice to be able to dress up silly and have fun," Latham added. But, the cold and rainy weather didn't stop the 23 participants, including six Marines equipped with ruck sacks, from hitting the pavement and battling the elements. "It was encouraging to see that many people came out with such bad weather," said Hays. Despite the weather, there was a close finish for first place. Jeremy McKissack, 434th ARW judge advocate, finished first with a time of 20:22 while Brendan Carney, 434th Civil Engineer Squadron, placed second by two seconds with a time of 20:24. "It was a good time, it was a good race and there were a lot of quick runners," said Hays. "It's really just for fun and comradery, it's good to see." The 'Grissom Ghouls 5K' fun run was the first of four in a series hosted by the base fitness center this fall called the 'Battle of the Bulge' to encourage fitness and fun. While the running series shares a name with a famed World War II offensive, this series is aimed at battling weight gain typically seen around the holidays. "It's a great way to stay fit during the holiday season," said Holmes. "This is typically when people gain extra weight and this is a good way to stay motivated and exercise and to train for these four races. "People can enjoy the holiday season and not worry about the extra calories and extra weight that comes with it," Holmes added. "Participation over the past year with these base races has been a increasing and it's cool to see that interest in distance running is increasing." For more on the running series or other Fitness Center programs, call 688-2000. The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. From Grissom, Airmen and aircraft from the 434th ARW routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission and U.S. strategic objectives. Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.
