FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday,
July 3, 2005
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Contacts:
Atlanta
Track Club
Ann Morris: 678-644-5517
Ann.morris@strategicphilanthropy.net
Armed Forces Contact-Afghanistan:
Corporal Tim Villasana
villasat@yahoo.com
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US soldiers and Coalition Forces Celebrate Independence
Day Running World’s Largest 10K in Afghanistan
Bagram
Airfield, Afghanistan–
Marc Lenoble (center in white t-shirt), Master Sergeant in the French
Army, and Meghan Hughes (#275), Civilian, won the Men and Women’s
Divisions of the first-ever AJC Peachtree Road Race to be held in
Afghanistan. The location was Bagram Airfield, home to more than 6,000 US
and Coalition troops from over ten countries. Participants included
runners from France, Germany, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, Romania,
Poland, Puerto Rico, and Panama.
The runners were among
more than 500 who ran the 10,000 meter race. The race began at 5:30 am on
Sunday, July 3, 2005 with the temperature in mid 80s. Race organizers
decided against waiting to run at the same hour as the Atlanta race time
of 7:30 am EST on July 4. If they had, temperatures would have been near
100 degrees, dusty, windy conditions would have prevailed and base
functionality would have been hindered, as Monday, July 4 is just another
day for the soldiers in Afghanistan.
2005 Top Runners, Afghanistan Division
Category
Name/Title/Hometown Age
Time
18-24
Male Corporal Melford Garcia, Fort Lewis, WA
24 36:42
18-24 Female First Lieutenant Melissa Parish, Honolulu, HI
24 48:44
25-32 Male Sergeant Joel Torres, Anthony, NM
26 39:50
25-32 Female Meghan
Hughes, Cockeysville, MD 26 42:40
Winner
33-39 Male Master
Sergeant Marc LeNoble, France
34 35:30 Winner
33-39 Female Major Jill Cahill, Woodbridge,
VA 36 54:50
40+ Male Master Sergeant Tony Davis, Chattanooga, TN
44 41:52
40+ Female Tech Sergeant
Tamra Shattuck, Charleston, SC 40 55:30
All winners of their age group received a
trophy and a dvd player. The overall male and female winners each
received a Peachtree VIP polo shirt and a $50 gift card good for use at
the local AAFES Post Exchange.
“Our goal was to make this event
as fun as the race in Atlanta and the best race ever in Bagram.” said
Corporal Tim Villasana, the Peachtree-Afghanistan race director. “I think
we accomplished that and more. Since the 4th of July is just
another day here, the Peachtree WAS our 4th of July
celebration. After today, every day is ground hog day again.” referring to
the popular movie by that name.
The AJC Peachtree Road Race Time Group 13 was
officially started in Atlanta at 9 pm EST on Saturday, July 2, 2005. The
announcement was made by Colonel Tom MacKenzie, who had the idea to host
the Peachtree in Afghanistan while he was stationed in Kabul earlier this
year. “As the PAO (public affairs officer), I wanted to bring the
Peachtree’s Fourth of July tradition to our soldiers there."
In June, the Atlanta Track Club had sent
the following support materials, a AJC Peachtree Road Race Start banner,
custom-made AJC Peachtree Road Race-Baghdad Division T-shirts,
race numbers and volunteer shirts. The Track Club also shipped official
awards for First Place Overall-Man and First Place Overall-Woman.
Julia Emmons, the Track Club’s Executive
Director since 1984, spoke for all 10,000 members when she said, “the Atlanta Track Club is honored to be able to support the first
AJC Peachtree
Road Race in Afghanistan as a gift to our U.S. service men and women
serving there this 4th of July.”
the Atlanta Track Club (ATC), a
non-profit organization founded in 1964, is committed to promoting fitness
and health through amateur road racing, cross-country and track and
field. It is the second largest running club in the United States, with
more than 10,000 members. The ATC founded the AJC Peachtree Road Race in 1970
and has fostered its growth into the world’s largest and finest
10,000-meter race with a field limited to 55,000 runners.
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