The 26.2-mile Marine Corps challenge in D.C.
Christine Carrillo
The Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C. sparked a fire under
four members of the Newport Beach Cal Coast Track Club late October,
giving them a simultaneous chance to revisit the capital and achieve
a 26.2-mile goal.
Mary Fletcher of Newport Beach, John Kenney of Corona del Mar, Tom
Boris of Newport Coast and Gloria LaCommare of West Covina started
and ended their run near the Iwo Jima Monument and got the chance to
hit a number of other monuments along their route before reaching an
exhausting finish.
“I had no intention of running a marathon again,” said Kenney, who
admitted to having a little trouble during the last leg of the run.
“I didn’t like them ... but I thought it was pretty exciting because
there was a lot of people lining the streets ... applauding.”
With the support of the crowds of people on the streets and
hundreds of Marines lending a helping hand, the Newport Beach Cal
Coasters, which was their team name, couldn’t help but be moved by
the spirit of the capital.
The group even managed to squeeze a few days of sightseeing into
their trip.
“The people back there were awesome ... but what sticks out in my
mind is the hundreds and hundreds of Marines giving a hand, they did
a great job,” Kenney said. “They kind of made everybody feel proud.”
The event, which took place in October only days after the two
suspected snipers were arrested, seemed to have brought out a sense
of camaraderie among the spectators, as well as the 17,000 runners.
With people handing out pretzels and Starburst candies to the
runners as they trekked on mile after mile, passing monument after
monument, Fletcher and Kenney were grateful and comforted by the
support and the locale.
“The monuments are beautiful; the people are friendly and there’s
a feeling of pride for our country,” said Fletcher, whose parents
were both in the Marine Corps. “I’ve never seen so much military
personal any where in the country. I just felt really safe ... and if
you can’t run in the nation’s capital in a Marine Corps Marathon and
feel safe, then where can you.”
While the team members had a few days as tourists visiting the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, the United
States Holocaust Memorial Museum and much more, their participation
in the marathon left them with an even more memorable feeling of
accomplishment and pride.
“I think that’s an awesome place to run a marathon,” said Kenney,
who has recently adopted the nickname 5K John.
“I’ll always remember around mile 20, it was getting difficult and
there were a couple people deep around this one stretch and the
encouragement the people were giving, it took your mind off of your
suffering. It was awesome and extremely well run, except for us
running it.”
* Have you, or someone you know, gone on an interesting vacation
recently? Did you brave the wilds of Africa, travel to exotic lands?
Tell us your adventures. Drop us a line to TRAVEL TALES, 330 W. Bay
St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; e-mail christine.carrillo@latimes.com; or
fax to (949) 646-4170.
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