Grissom Airmen represented at AF marathon Published Oct. 28, 2011 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- Don't let the name "mini marathon" fool you; running 13.1 miles is no walk in the park. Ten 434th Air Refueling Wing members, including six 434th Security Forces Squadron Airmen and one 434th SFS spouse, jumped at the opportunity to represent their unit and Grissom in the 15th Annual Air Force Marathon Sept. 17 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. While most of the Grissom team ran the half marathon, some ran a 10K race while others stuck it out for the entire 26.2 mile full marathon. The 434th SFS members who ran included James Benvenuto, Thomas Siegel, Catherine Devine, Dustin Devine, Kasey Potts, Timothy Potts and Nathan Salvagni. In addition to the 434th SFS participation, there were four other Grissom Airmen who ran in the event. Michael Hoke, 74th Air Refueling Squadron, and Michael Schaefer, 49th Aerial Port Flight, ran the half marathon; James Carter, 434th Maintenance Squadron, ran the 10K; and James Malloy, 434th Communications Squadron, ran the full marathon. Many people train well in advance for such a race and Grissom's team did just that. The 434th SFS members trained for the majority of the summer in preparation for the race, said Dustin Devine. Training ranged from a traditional five-day-a-week running program to cycling exercises, and they tried to train and prepare together when time permitted, he added. Potts and his wife Kasey got the opportunity to share their first mini marathon together. "My wife Kasey and I spent most of the summer running together and looking forward to the half marathon," said Potts. "This was our first half marathon and it was really rewarding being able to run together along with our friends and teammates." Devine also enjoyed her first mini marathon experience. "Running my first half marathon was an amazing experience and I will definitely be back next year to run again," she said. Potts and Devine weren't the only ones that enjoyed their experience of the race. "What an awesome experience having the opportunity to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Air Force Marathon," said Benvenuto. "It was a well organized event." In all, more than 900 military members ran in the events. The next Air Force Marathon is scheduled to take place Sept. 15, 2012. The 434th SFS is a part of the 434th ARW, the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Twitter and Facebook. (Editor's note: Staff Sgt. Dustin Devine, 434th SFS, and Senior Airman Jami K. Lancette, 434th ARW public affairs specialist, contributed to this article.)
