MOLINE, Ill. -- The entry form for the Quad Cities Marathon states that the event features "five races, four cities, three bridges, two states and one island, all along the mighty Mississippi River."
The 2011 version of the Quad Cities Marathon, which was contested for the 14th time on Sept. 25, also featured a prominent presence by the U.S. Army Sustainment Command.
Maj. Gen. Yves J. Fontaine, commanding general of ASC, was among the local dignitaries who stood upon the starter's platform and spoke brief words of encouragement to race participants just before the 7:30 a.m. start time. Fontaine then had the honor of signaling the start of the race by dipping a flag, a gesture followed immediately by the firing of a replica of a Civil War cannon parked one block away in downtown Moline.
Among the nearly 4,700 runners who began the run on a cloudy and cool Sunday morning were nine members of ASC's Army Ten-Miler Team. The nine Soldiers ran in the 13.1-mile half-marathon event as part of their training for the Army Ten-Miler, a race which takes place on Oct. 9 in Washington, D.C.
Both the half-marathon and full marathon courses ran across Rock Island Arsenal, the "one island" cited in the entry form and home to ASC Headquarters. (Along with the full and half marathons, the five races included a five-person marathon relay, 5-kilometer race and 1-mile walk; the four cities and two states included Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa and Moline and Rock Island in Illinois.)
Cool temperatures, cloudy skies, light winds and a flat course combined to help produce record times in the half-marathon. Charles Hillig set the all-time standard for men by finishing in an official time of 1 hour, 6 minutes and 44 seconds, while Julia Mallon was the first female finisher across the line with a time of 1:19:31. No records were set in the full marathon, in part perhaps because of rain showers that moved into the area about 90 minutes after the race began.
Times for the nine members of the ASC Army Ten-Miler Team in the half-marathon were as follows, in order of finish:
Capt. Ayo Oladipofaniyi (1:24:39)
Capt. Justin Bergen (1:32:27)
Master Sgt. Anders Anthony (1:33:21)
Capt. Joshua Johnson (1:35:04)
Sgt. Maj. Eric Vidal (1:37:55)
Staff Sgt. Donald Engling (1:39:29)
Sgt. 1st Class Larry Burden (1:45:03)
Master Sgt. Louis Aguilar (1:48:30)
Sgt. 1st Class David Mellenthin (2:11:18)
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