181st and community come together for Racer Fitness Expo

  • Published
  • By SSgt Chris Jennings
  • 181st IW/Public Affairs
Honing the Wing's focus on staying in shape, many 181st Intelligence Wing and community members participated in the 2008 Fitness Expo on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008. The competitive run had 1.5 mile, 5k and 10k distances with 117 total participants.
"This is a great opportunity for our members to be active in events outside of our daily routine," said MSgt Melinda Tatman, Racer Fitness Expo organizer. "It's a good community outreach opportunity to emphasize the importance of physical fitness."
Extraordinarily cooperative weather and a motivated staff provided runners with an excellent atmosphere for the Fitness Expo run.
"The run is something that we have done in years past, but this is the first time we had a serious commitment from not only 181st members but also some training and fitness experts from the community," said 1st Lt. Randi Brown, 181st Wing Executive Staff Officer. "We had a great turnout and I feel like everyone enjoyed the course we had set up and the inter-Wing competition to get everyone a little fired up didn't hurt. It was a great time and I hope we can get more people to participate next year."
The runners took off at 9:20 a.m., but before the race began 13 local vendors were on hand to help runners stretch, learn about running equipment and possibly get a few hints from experts on how to shave a few minutes off their time. Pacesetter Sports gave running shoe advice and also handed out 20 percent discount coupons while representatives from the Fitness Experts held a mass warm-up.
"This event was designed for 181st Airmen and members of the community to come out and have a good time while running, but to also learn something they can implement into their personal work out routine," Brown said. "181st Airmen were asking the experts questions and participating in pre-run work outs with our vendors. This is exactly what we hoped would happen."
For convenience, the race was chip timed and each runner was assigned a chip to tie into their shoelace. Crossing over the start and finish line mats, runner's time was recorded electronically. This allowed for race volunteers to distribute water and offer guidance throughout the course. Terre Haute North High School Cross Country team runners posted up along the course to point runners along the correct path.
"We greatly appreciate our vendors and also T.H. North Cross Country team who volunteered their time to help mediate the race," Tatman said. "This race wouldn't have been such a success without the assistance from so many different people, including base personnel who helped set up and tear down for the event. Thank you all."