Members of Malmstrom take on marathon

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Emerald Ralston
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs Office
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  
Seventeen members of team Malmstrom participated in this year's annual Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Sept. 20. Those who participated were of different skill levels and had different ambitions, but all went out and completed what they had intended to accomplish in the end. 

Many of those who participated trained together in the months prior to the race and went as a group to the event, driving from Montana to Ohio, with a few sightseeing stops along the way. 

"I had an outstanding time at the Air Force Marathon and ran into a lot of friends," said Staff Sgt. Dustin Douberly, who finished in 3 hours and 52 minutes. "My goal was to finish the marathon in under four hours. I successfully met my goal. I feel like I've climbed a mountain. I feel excellent and I want to run my next marathon in under 3 hours and 30 minutes. Running in the Air Force Marathon was a great experience and I highly recommend it. I look forward to running with the Malmstrom team in the future." 

Along with sharing the experience and getting to know other members of the Malmstrom team, those who participated got the opportunity to meet many other Air Force members at the marathon. 

"The experience was pretty awesome," said 1st Lt. Katherine Hebner, who finished in 5 hours and 31 minutes. "It is neat to call yourself a marathoner - even if you're not a good one! After this marathon I've set a new goal of accomplishing 10 marathons by the time I'm 30. The trip as a whole was great as well. I got to see a lot of old friends and met a ton of Air Force personnel from all over the world that came to participate. There isn't much to do in 26.2 miles to keep your mind off running, so it was a great opportunity to talk and get to know what is going on in the rest of the Air Force world." 

Other members shared the same enthusiasm about the experience. 

"This was a unique experience and I'm glad I got to share it with some great people," said 1st Lt. David Zesinger, who finished with a time of 3 hours and 47 minutes. "The race wasn't too bad, but after a while my feet and joints were letting me know they'd had enough! It was fun though and I'm fortunate I was able to go and finish without a hitch."
Unfortunately, not everyone from the group was so lucky to make it through the marathon unscathed. 

"The marathon was a great experience," said 2nd Lt. Nay Naing, who finished in 5 hours and 43 minutes despite an injury. "I pulled a few muscles at the 16-mile point and had to walk the rest of the way in. My time isn't all that great because of it and there were times when I was thinking 'why am I doing this?' since I was in so much pain. I decided that I didn't train for four months and run 16 miles to not finish it. Finishing was a great feeling." 

Regardless of his injury and struggles, Lieutenant Naing stayed positive, noting the restaurants through the course of the road trip made it that much more enjoyable of an experience. 

"On the drive out we stopped at Mt. Rushmore, Chicago, and Badland National Park," the lieutenant said. "We also ate at restaurants we'd been craving that we don't have here in Great Falls. The trip there was an experience in itself." 

But not everyone enjoyed their experience with the marathon overall. 

"I ran as the sponsored runner from Malmstrom," said Capt. James Mc.Cue, who finished second from the Malmstrom team with a time of 3 hours and 32 minutes. "This was my first marathon ever, and sure to be my last. It was crazy how much I hurt the next day. I could hardly walk. But at least this is one more box checked off of my list of things to do before I die, and I do intend to get into more triathlons starting in the spring, as they aren't as hard on the body since it spreads the pain more evenly." 

Regardless of the outcomes, each member of the team that competed at the Air Force marathon learned valuable lessons, had memorable experiences and got the opportunity to represent the Air Force and Malmstrom at a National level.