ARLINGTON, Va. (October 9, 2016) -- After braving strong winds on a Sunday morning, men and women runners in the All Army Sports team finished in first, second and third place at the Army Ten-Miler.
Marathon runner Sgt. Augustus Maiyo, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, placed first in the male's overall and male's military categories with a net time of 48 minutes and 20 seconds. Maiyo is a Soldier in the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, based in Fort Carson, and a food service specialist in the Army.
His teammates crossed the finish line within seconds behind him. First Lt. Robert Cheseret, of Fountain, Colorado, came in second, and 2016 U.S. Olympic track and field team member Spc. Shadrack Kipchirchir, of Beaverton, Oregon, came in third. Sgt. Hillary Bor and Spc. Leonard Korir, both of Colorado Springs and members on this year's U.S. Olympic track and field team, came in fourth and fifth place. All Soldiers are also in the Army WCAP.
Capt. Kelly Calway, of West Point, New York, came in first in the female's military category and third in the female's overall with a net time of 58 minutes and 56 seconds. Her teammate Spc. Susan Tanui, of Fort Riley, Kansas, placed second in the female military category.
Other runners in the All Army Sports team were U.S. Olympic silver medalist Spc. Paul Chelimo, of Beaverton, and Spc. Emmanuel Bor, of Fort Bliss, Texas.
The All Army Sports runners also placed first for the International Army team category. Their collective running time was three hours, 13 minutes and 24 seconds.
The runners credited their success to teamwork. As they ran the 10-mile trek together, they faced wet streets and wind gusts.
"We worked together as a team. The way we run as a group helped a lot," said Kipchirchir. "We stay together and motivate each other. If someone starts to slow down, we encourage them to keep up with the group."
The team also credited Army training and support from crowd members for their preparation and motivation for the race.
"The Army helps us train and gives us support," said Cheseret. "Seeing all these people here was really motivational. The crowd was cheering and were so good to us."
It was not just about competing for fast running times for the Army athletes. Calway, an instructor in the U.S. Military Academy's Department of Physical Education, also ran to honor a fallen service member. She dedicated her run to Army Capt. Brian "Bubba" Bunting, a West Point graduate who died in 2009 while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
"When I was out there hurting [during the race], I thought about what he [Bunting] went through and how he made the ultimate sacrifice," she said.
The runners were also proud to represent the Army and expressed their appreciation for programs like WCAP and All Army Sports.
"I look forward to this race every year," said Calway. "It's such a strong homecoming for the entire Army community. I see people that I served with over the past 10 years. It means a lot to run on the All Army team and represent everyone in the Army."
Related Links:
U.S. Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation
U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program
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