thedrifter
05-08-06, 07:46 AM
Posted on Mon, May. 08, 2006
Baghdad hosts version of Philly run
By BILL FLEISCHMAN
For the Daily News
Call it the "Blue Cross Broad Street Run Mideast."
About 100 soldiers stationed in Baghdad yesterday ran their version of the Broad Street Run. They wore T-shirts reading "Philadelphia-Baghdad Broad Street Run."
Lt. Col. Chris Lauchner arranged the Baghdad version of the 10-miler with Philly race director Jim Marino. Lauchner and his wife, Carole, have run Broad Street several times.
Lauchner, 46, finished 13th among the Baghdad runners in 1 hour, 15 minutes, 29 seconds. Todd Dye was the fastest Baghdad runner in 1:06.02.
With the temperature 97 degrees at 6 a.m., the soldiers ran six loops of 1.67 miles each inside the American embassy compound.
Carole completed the Broad Street version of the race in 1:37.52.
When Marino informed the runners here before the race about the Baghdad run, they cheered.
"It brought tears to my eyes when he made the announcement and the crowd applauded," Carole said. "It was a great day here and in Baghdad."
On another front, runner Jay Jessica Smith also has a Broad Street Run-Iraq connection.
Her husband, Matt, is a lance corporal in the Marines stationed near Fallujah. Yesterday was their first wedding anniversary.
Wearing a T-shirt reading "Running for my husband in Iraq" on the front, Smith completed her first race ever in 2:01.35.
"I am so proud of Matt for the sacrifices he is making," Smith said. "I'm thinking about him all the time."
Matt graduated from Villanova 5 years ago. He enlisted in the Marine reserves in 2003. Jay Jessica is a chemical engineer at the Naval Business Center, where the race finishes.
Broad Street boom
A record 15,300 runners registered for yesterday's race. Of the 13,689 who started, an impressive 13,549 finished.
Explaining the increasing popularity of the event, Jim Marino said, "It's word of mouth. The runners really sell it for us. The surge of women runners also is a reason."
Marino has been promoting the race in the Washington, D.C., area.
Broad Street beat
Making his Broad Street debut, Geoff Arnold, Drexel's associate head men's basketball coach, finished in 1:34.45. Daily News sports writer Les Bowen's time was 1:53.56.
There was more music than ever along the course, ranging from jazz bands to Mummers to a gospel choir.
The race, conducted by the city's Department of Recreation, benefits the American Cancer Society. The Daily News is a co-sponsor of the race.
Send e-mail to fleiscb@phillynews.com
Ellie
Baghdad hosts version of Philly run
By BILL FLEISCHMAN
For the Daily News
Call it the "Blue Cross Broad Street Run Mideast."
About 100 soldiers stationed in Baghdad yesterday ran their version of the Broad Street Run. They wore T-shirts reading "Philadelphia-Baghdad Broad Street Run."
Lt. Col. Chris Lauchner arranged the Baghdad version of the 10-miler with Philly race director Jim Marino. Lauchner and his wife, Carole, have run Broad Street several times.
Lauchner, 46, finished 13th among the Baghdad runners in 1 hour, 15 minutes, 29 seconds. Todd Dye was the fastest Baghdad runner in 1:06.02.
With the temperature 97 degrees at 6 a.m., the soldiers ran six loops of 1.67 miles each inside the American embassy compound.
Carole completed the Broad Street version of the race in 1:37.52.
When Marino informed the runners here before the race about the Baghdad run, they cheered.
"It brought tears to my eyes when he made the announcement and the crowd applauded," Carole said. "It was a great day here and in Baghdad."
On another front, runner Jay Jessica Smith also has a Broad Street Run-Iraq connection.
Her husband, Matt, is a lance corporal in the Marines stationed near Fallujah. Yesterday was their first wedding anniversary.
Wearing a T-shirt reading "Running for my husband in Iraq" on the front, Smith completed her first race ever in 2:01.35.
"I am so proud of Matt for the sacrifices he is making," Smith said. "I'm thinking about him all the time."
Matt graduated from Villanova 5 years ago. He enlisted in the Marine reserves in 2003. Jay Jessica is a chemical engineer at the Naval Business Center, where the race finishes.
Broad Street boom
A record 15,300 runners registered for yesterday's race. Of the 13,689 who started, an impressive 13,549 finished.
Explaining the increasing popularity of the event, Jim Marino said, "It's word of mouth. The runners really sell it for us. The surge of women runners also is a reason."
Marino has been promoting the race in the Washington, D.C., area.
Broad Street beat
Making his Broad Street debut, Geoff Arnold, Drexel's associate head men's basketball coach, finished in 1:34.45. Daily News sports writer Les Bowen's time was 1:53.56.
There was more music than ever along the course, ranging from jazz bands to Mummers to a gospel choir.
The race, conducted by the city's Department of Recreation, benefits the American Cancer Society. The Daily News is a co-sponsor of the race.
Send e-mail to fleiscb@phillynews.com
Ellie