LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
Lackland's first-ever Gateway Half Marathon took off without so much as a bump in the road or a cloud in the morning sky Oct. 24.
Nearly 2,000 runners roamed the base streets during the day's 5K, 10K and half-marathon runs.
Along with the cool, sunny climate, the sounds of week-five and above basic military training flights' jodies and marching during the 5K filled the environment.
"It's good for the trainees, and if they weren't motivated to do it they wouldn't be here because there was no arm twisting at all," Senior Master Sgt. Glen Usherwood said.
Trainee Trady Powles, 333rd Training Squadron, was the first to cross the finish line positioned on the parade ground bomb run.
"It felt good," he said. "I came out here and gave it my all. Everyone was hustling out there; I love that."
In what became a crowd-favorite, the trainees also emerged as a defining characteristic for the competition.
"It was a lot of fun and it was great being out here with all the trainees. It really adds to the atmosphere and makes it a fun event," Lt. Col. Peter Ohotnicky, 322nd Training Squadron commander, said. "Even though those of us who were in the half marathon were way over on the other side of the base, we were hearing them cheer and run and sing their jodies."
Along with trainees, the competition featured some of Lackland's best athletes.
World class triathlete James Bales won the half marathon, completing the 13.1-mile trek around the base in 1 hour, nine minutes and 46 seconds.
"1:09:49, that's what I'm talking about," Bales said after recording one of his fastest half-marathon times. "It was a great course. Perfect type of marathon weather; you couldn't ask for a better day - not a cloud in the sky."
Colonel Ohotnicky followed Bales' performance with an overall time of 1:18:05 for second place.
He said, "Obviously, it is a fast course, very flat with lots of nice long straight stretches, so you could just crank it out and get going."
Colonel Ohotnicky's daughters Colette, 13, and Ann, 13, were the top two female finishers in the 5K, while Therese, 8, came in fifth. His son Charlie, 10, finished 12th in the men's 5K.
Shylah James held onto a race-long lead to beat out Janelle Herek to be the top female half-marathon runner at 1:48:13.
It took all of Team Lackland to make the event possible.
37th Training Wing commander, Col. William H. Mott V, ran the 10K.
"I'm already thinking of next year," Col. Mott said after his run. "This could turn into a cool little San Antonio event. I like that everyone is running, laughing, smiling, and just having a good time."
Col. Patrick Fogarty, 37th Mission Support Group commander, sat out the run and offered another vantage point.
"The team at Fitness and Sports just did a great job," he said. "There was a lot of planning involved in this. I think this worked out great three weeks before the San Antonio Half Marathon. I think people really got some benefit out of it."