FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Deployed California Army National Guardsmen To Host Their Own
Long Beach International City Bank Half Marathon In Iraq
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq - Soldiers with the Headquarters and
Headquarters Company, 224th Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command
(Expeditionary), from Long Beach, Calif., will be holding their own Long
Beach Half Marathon on Oct. 17 at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq.
The event will be held the same day as the International City Bank full and
half marathons that are taking place in Long Beach, Calif. Approximately
500 Soldiers and civilians from COB Adder will gather to walk or run the
event, and roughly 200 Soldiers from Long Beach will participate in the
event through running, walking or volunteering their time as the hosting
unit.
"Being so far away from home, we try to find ways to keep people engaged
and participate in functions that bring us closer as a unit," said 1st Lt.
Evelyn Scott, the COB Adder event coordinator and deputy of base operations
with the 224th Special Troops Battalion, 224th Sust. Bde., and a San Diego,
Calif., native. "We have so many runners and walkers in our unit as well as
on the base; we thought it would be nice to bring a taste of California to
Iraq."
RUN Racing donated event shirts, goodie bags, medals and banners to the
Brigade to help them host their own Long Beach Half Marathon event. "We
were honored to help the brave men and women of the Army National Guard
participate and get a bit of home while being away. We hope they all enjoy
the race, and most importantly, come home safe and sound after they
complete their deployment," said John Parks, the International City Bank
Long Beach event organizer and EVP of RUN Racing.
2010 Long Beach International City Bank Marathon sponsors include: Title
Sponsor - International City Bank; Corporate Sponsors, JetBlue Airways -
Official Airlines; Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and Miller Children's
Hospital - Official Hospitals; the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company - 5K Sponsor;
the Aquarium of the Pacific - Kids Run Sponsor; Runners High - Official
Running Specialty Store; Brooks - Official Shoe; Buono's Pizzeria -
Official Pizza; Cliff Bar - the Official Energy Bar and Energy Gel;
Michelob Ultra - Finish Line Festival sponsor; SA Recycling - Official
Recycler; and Long Beach Hyatt Hotel - Official Headquarters Hotel.
Community Partners include AMP 97.1, BNSF Railway, the Port of Long Beach,
the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Downtown Long Beach
Associates, and California State University Long Beach.
The International City Bank Long Beach Marathon will have approximate
25,000 participants and events include the Marathon, Half Marathon, Bubba
Gump "Run Forrest Run" 5K, 26.2-mile Bike Tour and the Aquarium of the
Pacific Kids Run. The website is www.twincitiesmarathon.org
About RUN Racing: Led by Olympic Gold Medalist Bob Seagren, RUN Racing
specializes exclusively in the development, management and implementation
of endurance, health, fitness and special events. RUN Racing events
include the OC Marathon held in May; the Pacific Open Water Festivals held
in June and August; the Long Beach International City Bank Marathon held in
October; the Dana Point Turkey Trot 10K & 5K held on Thanksgiving Day and
the LA County Half Marathon held in December. "Follow RUN Racing on Twitter
for event information (@RUNRacing) and find The Long Beach International
City Bank Marathon on Facebook for interactive event information (Long
Beach International City Bank Marathon)"
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