Last modified Wed., November 08, 2006 - 05:06 PM
Originally created Thursday, November 9, 2006

Trio of Jags Run MCM

From HSL-60

A team from HSL-60 Jaguars joined more than 21,000 runners to brave the cool temperatures and windy conditions to compete in the 31st Annual 2006 Marine Corps Marathon held in Washington, D.C. Oct. 29.

''It was a fantastic experience,'' said Lt. Cmdr. Scott Gootee, who led the charge, finishing in 3:50:26. ''We have such a culture of fitness at HSL 60. It was inspiring to compete with so many other runners in our nation's capital.''

Lt. Cmdr. Bill Howey, who finished in 4:09:49, echoed Gootee's sentiments.

''It was thrilling to run through D.C. with the support of the spectators,'' Howey said. ''I started training this spring after the Gate River Run and asked Scott if he wanted to run with me.''

AW1 Robert Ziegler finished in 4:51:54, completing the team. This was particularly impressive, since most of his training was conducted on a treadmill while embarked USS John L. Hall during the Navy's first-ever Airborne Use of Force (AUF) Counternarcotics Deployment.

''I was honored to run amongst so many people from all walks of life,'' Ziegler added. ''It made all of the miles of training worth it.''

The annual event, dubbed The People's Marathon, drew more than 34,000 entrants, making it the fifth largest marathon in the nation. Rueben Garcia won the race in 2:21:21. Average finish time was 5:01:15.