PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - Team Picatinny sent 16 representatives, both military and civilian, to compete in the 26th annual Army Ten-Miler Oct. 24 in Washington, D.C.

Some ran for the love of competition, some ran for fun, and some ran to prove they can do whatever they set their mind to.

Marisol MacCheyne falls into the last category. She is a civilian employee for the Navy and wife of Marine Corps 1st Sgt. Kevin MacCheyne of the Marine Corps Reserve unit here.

Marisol's formal job title is administrative assistant, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division, Picatinny Detachment.

She decided to run the Army Ten-Miler because she wanted to teach her children to follow their dreams.

"I was motivated by the fact that only a few years ago I could hardly run half a mile without having to stop for a break and now I was going to really face a challenge," MacCheyne said. "Would I be able to run the whole time' Would I give up' Would I make it to the finish line'

"I felt intoxicated by the energy of all the people, the words of encouragement from the others, especially the confidence that my husband had in me, was what I needed to run the race," she added.

Each year tens of thousands of runners and spectators come to Washington to join in this race classic. The race starts and finishes at the Pentagon, passing by landmarks including the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and the Capitol Building.

The Army race was started in 1985 by fitness officials connected with the Army Headquarters staff in the Pentagon. This year the race set Army Ten-Miler registration records, with 30,000 runner slots sold in only 35 hours and 21,636 runners finishing the competition.

"Crossing the finish line overwhelmed me with emotion," MacCheyne said. "I thought of the overweight girl I once was, and hurtful words that crossed my ears to the moment where I was now, filled with energy and the cheerleaders that have now come into my life!

"While finishing the race is a personal victory, I believe the greatest lesson I can teach my children is to never give up on your dreams and to believe in yourself."

During race week, deployed service members and civilians participated in "shadow" runs at six bases in Afghanistan, five bases in Iraq, and one in Djibouti, Africa.

Many wounded warriors also participated in the race, thus motivating members of Team Picatinny, including the team captain, Master Sgt. Paul Wilcock.

"We all saw many wounded-in-action warfighters, and the many civilians that were there for those warfighters," Wilcock said. "This was a fantastic event and I am glad we could all be a part of it--together--as a team."

Three Team Picatinny runners, Barnes, Bozzelli, and Wilcock will participate in the New York City Marathon on Nov. 7.

Here are the results for both Picatinny teams: Picatinny Team 1 (Active Duty Men - Commanders Cup) Overall 120 out of 653 teams, 28 out of 40 in the AD Men CDR's cup division. Picatinny Team 2 (All Comers) Overall 302 out of 653 teams, 16 out of 47 in All Comers division.