Soldier Marathon

I flew to Atlanta on Friday and then drove to Columbus, Georgia for the Soldier Marathon at Fort Benning on Saturday.  When I arrived in Columbus, I ran a mile+ on the downtown streets around my hotel. 
It was in the 30's at Fort Benning at the 7 a.m. race start on Saturday, but warmed up quickly during the race.  The first 7 miles of the marathon went through Fort Benning.  At about mile 2, we ran up a long steep hill.  They had drill sergeants on both sides of the road offering kind words of encouragement.  Nice touch.  After the run through Fort Benning, we ran on a paved trail along the river to downtown Columbus.  Then, we made a loop around downtown Columbus and then followed the river back to Fort Benning to complete the 26.2 mile run.  I ran the first half with Dorsey, 19, from Columbus.  She was running her first marathon.  I finished in 6:26:42 and she finished in just under 7 hours.  Congratulations, Dorsey.
I got back to Huntsville about 5 this evening and went to the track and ran laps.
Since it is Veteran's Day today, I will include the above 1983 photo from Fort Hood, Texas. Darn, time goes by fast.