MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. —
Seventeen Airmen were awarded an Air Force Marathon medal by base leadership on Nov. 15, 2022.

The Airmen participated in the Bismarck Marathon as a substitution to the Air Force Marathon held on Sept. 17, 2022, which was at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The Air Force Marathon Officiated the runners times and awarded them each an Air Force Marathon medal.

“Beginning on May 18, 2022, a group of runners came together weekly at Bud Ebert park with the goal of ‘running farther than you have ever run before,’” said Capt. Mark Bradshaw, 5th Bomb Wing chaplain and organizer of the Minot marathon group. “Throughout the summer we became a supportive community and discovered the interplay between distance running and the pillars of Comprehensive Airman Fitness.”

Runners from Minot AFB trained all year with each other in the Minot Marathon group; growing not only in strength, but in camaraderie. The hard work of these Airmen led to all participants earning an Air Force Marathon medal.

“I trained for four months for the event so that I could challenge myself to be a better runner and attempt to achieve a sub 3-hour time,“ said SrA Benjamin Smith, a runner at the event who ran a qualifying Boston Marathon time.
The achievements of each Airman and the obstacles that they overcame demonstrates what it means to adopt and sustain healthy behaviors needed to enhance health, and well-being in not only their Air Force career but in all future endeavors.

Listed below are Airmen that participated:
5K:
Amn Forrest Anciso, 91MW, 91 MMXS
Half Marathon:
SrA Miya Ray Alger, 5 BW, 5 OMRS
SrA Tai Bui, 5 BW, 5 OMRS
A1C Ella Koleen Salita, 5 BW, 5 FSS
A1C Sayri “Daniela” Urias Jimenez, 91 MW, 891 MSFS.
Ch, Capt Sean Russell, (91 OG chaplain) 5 BW/HC
Full Marathon:
Ch, Capt Mark Bradshaw, 5 BW, 5 BW/HC
A1C Alexander Buexjuahi-Silis, 5 BW, 5 MUNS
SrA Ashton Burton, 91 MW, 791 MSFS
Raquel Gladue, Civ, 5 BW, 5 HCOS
A1C Samuel Lalawi, 5 BW, 5 HCOS
A1C Parker Lund, 5 BW, 5 MXS
SrA Joseph Purser 91 MW, 791 MXS
SrA Brandon Royce, 5 BW, 5 CES
SrA Benjamin Smith, 5BW, 5 OMRS
A1C Chris Van Asten, 5 BW, 5 FSS
SSgt Shamar Young, 5 BW, 5 HCOS