Coasties with a Running Problem, hit the road on Saturday, June 12 to represent the Coast Guard in the Corporate Division of the 46^th annual  DeCelle Memorial Lake Tahoe Relay.  The Lake Tahoe Relay is the oldest distance relay in the United States, and all proceeds from the race go to local high school running programs.  The run circumnavigates the lake  at dehydrating altitude of about 6000ft and often is accompanied by hot summer sun.

Seven runners from various commands in the Bay Area completed the 72 mile race  in a total time of 9:21:33, finishing first in the Corporate Division, which was made up of 13 teams, and 23^rd overall out of 119 teams.   The team, consisting of CDR Lance Rocks (Leg  1), LT Steve Arnwine (Leg 2), LTJG Meredith Condon (Leg 3 – Team Captain), ENS Matthew Eyler (Leg 4), LT Christiane Grant (Leg 5), LT Ken Burgess (Leg 6), and LT Nate Menefee (Leg 7) bested the 2008 Coast Guard team’s time by about 30 minutes.  This team building exercise kept the tradition of housing the team together in a rented cabin for the weekend before and after the race.  This is always a good time with the proximity to the lake, the casinos, and in this case, the cabins hot tub.  With transfer season around the corner ( or underway ) we hope that new runners come in excited to be part of the team and we regret to see some of our current members on their way to run different roads, trails, and races.

If you’re on the Eastern Seaboard then you probably participated in or know someone who participated in Toms Run.  Tom’s Run is a 200-mile continuous relay along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal held in memory of Tom Brooks, a retired chief warrant officer in the Coast Guard who passed away in 2004 after contracting amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

A crazy amount of Coasties were out participating in this event which aligns directly with the clubs goals, but here are some club members contributions.

• LT Juan Rivera and OS1 Brandon Earhart – 46.4 miles
• LT Chris Brock – 14 Miles
• YN1 Michael Franson – 20 Miles
• SK2 Kristopher Ferrell – 17.77 Miles
• LT Hans Staffelbach 7.8 Miles
• LT Jack Smith – 23 Miles

I know there were more, so to all of you congratulations!

For more information see the D5 Photo Release

Pictured above:  Members of Chris for Warrant, a 14-person team led by Special Agent Christopher Huntington, stop to display their medals following the 12th annual Tom’s Run at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., June 5, 2010.  U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandyn Hill.

Runners from within the Coast Guard are uniting!  We are seeing more and more people interested in participating in competitive and recreational running events across the Coast Guard, and interested in wearing the Coast Guard Running Club’s apparel when out on the road or trail.  We are getting noticed, showing the world that the Coast Guard has athletes of all talents and abilities.  We are promoting one of the most healthy activities you can engage in, and the absolute best branch of the amred services, all at the same time and enjoying every bit of it!

Here are some highlights from some recent events -

• Coast Guard Team “Sailors with a Running Problem” places 3rd Overall in The Relay and 1st in the military/LE division
• Coast Guard Team “Lifesavers” from TRACEN Petaluma places 4th in The Relay military/LE division
• 6 members from Air Station Detroit recently participated in the Trail Marathon/Half Marathon on April 24/25
• Four 12 member Coast Guard teams (CG Engineered Acronyms, First Light Search, Lost Soles and MAYDAY) competed in the 200 mile relay from Quincy to Provincetown.
• Coast Guard Members from the Los Angeles area participated as “Team 1790” in the Baker to Vegas Relay which is one of the largest relays for Law Enforcement teams in the country.

This is just a few of the highlights of races that we were aware, not to mention the many events that individuals have particpated in.  We are in the process of getting the first East Coast Chapter up and running.  We are growing quickly, and hope to add more benefits to membership and features to the website as fast as we can.  Thanks for stopping by, and GO COAST GUARD!

The below biography can be found on the RRCA here and can be seen in the recent RRCA Quarterly Newsletter.

RRCA Eastern Director:  Mark was in the Coast Guard for over twenty years and was decorated for his accomplishments. He is currently a Compliance Specialist and Auditor for the largest hospital system in Maine. Mark holds a bachelors degree from Regents College in New York. Mark is a member of the Maine Track Club where he has served as a board member-at-large, vice president, and Mark was elected president in 2005. During his tenure as the Maine Track Club president, Mark has been noted for his organizational, communication, fund-raising and recruiting skill. Under his guidance, the Maine Track Club has donated over $300,000 to local charities and schools in Maine. Mark has been the RRCA Maine State Representative since 2006, and he has awarded several RRCA State Championships to area races. He has also been a member of the RRCA Audit Committee for two years. Mark has also been a race director for over eight years and is a member of the Beach to Beacon 10k organizing committee. He has two children, and he has completed hundreds of races of all lengths including 20 marathons. He is training for his first Ironman Triathlon at Lake Placid this July. Mark resides in Portland Maine.

The US Coast Guard Team (161) starts out Baker to Vegas at 11:00 today (17 Apr 10) with 120 miles and 20 runners from sector LA LB and Chase vans piloted by auxiliarists.  They will be competing with 262 teams in the Challenge Cup Relay, the national championships of law enforcement team competition. This massive logistics lift is in the capable hands of Team Captains LTJG Stephanie Young and BM3 Mike Lesley.  The team expects to finish in 18:10.  Follow them here:  http://b2vteam1790.blogspot.com/

Prior year finish times:  2008 – Place 140 – Time 17:41:01  |  2009 – Place 161 – Time 18:10:02