Guard member wins
By Brett Turner
Skywrighter Staff, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
September 26, 2003
Raymond Youngs said he needed a good tune-up run for the upcoming Chicago Marathon. He got it and more Saturday.
Youngs came to compete in the first-ever half-marathon at the Air Force Marathon as part of the all-National Guard team, comprised of different service branches with designs on Chicago . He emerged at the first finisher of the 13.1-mile half-marathon in an unofficial time of one hour 12 minutes and 25 seconds.
It was the first visit here for Youngs, a Manchester, N.H. resident and Army National Guard member. Half-marathoners face an unusual challenge in oncoming runners from other directions as they turn around back on the course, leading to a little confusion.
But Youngs said he saw his goal clearly. He found himself in the lead and cruised to victory.
"We worked it out and got to the finish line," he said. "It's a difficult course. There's quite a few hills and you get them both ways - out and back. If you get a hill going down on the way out, you get it going up on the way back. I tend to run pretty strong when I'm out front. I like running that way."
Youngs hasn't been running marathons long, but he appears to be a natural. He recently tasted victory in the 26.2-mile race at the Minefield Marathon in Afghanistan .
Youngs said he's excited to test is mettle at the Chicago Marathon next, and this was a good indicator as to where his training is. As far as defending his title here, he said he is undecided.
He said he might like to try to run the full race at some point, but a lot of where he runs is determined by what the all-Guard team's schedule is.
And Youngs said he is hoping Chicago will be a wonderful town the way Dayton was.
"I was very happy with the way I ran today and the way I felt," he said.