Misawa Flyers take-on Tokyo Marathon

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. April Quintanilla
  • 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TOKYO, Japan --  A group of Misawa runners participated in the Tokyo Marathon, a 26.2-mile course that took place Feb. 22, 2015 and traveled through main tourist attractions in Tokyo.

The race is one of six World Marathon Majors, and of the 34,063 participants, six were from Misawa Air Base, Japan.

A handful of the members were part of the Misawa Flyers, a group of military and civilian running enthusiasts. Although the majority of them are seasoned runners, not all had participated in a full marathon until now. 

This was the first marathon for retired Master Sgt. Graciela Martinez-Katz, Sonia Driscoll and Liz Byrne. All three women had run many half marathons and said they wanted the full marathon experience.

"Initially, I had never wanted to do a marathon, but I reconsidered it because races in Japan are so much fun," Driscoll said.

Tokyo Marathon participants are selected by lottery, and only 10 percent of applicants are selected for the event.

"I heard about the lottery and I decided to go for it - after all, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity," said Byrne.  "I was shocked when I got my bid."   

Maj. Reid Novotny, 35th Communications Squadron commander, and Tech. Sgt. Gerard Tilley, 35th Maintenance Group education and training manager, are both seasoned marathon runners, and set personal goals for this marathon.  

Novotny met his goal of finishing at the three hour mark, ranking him in the top one percent of the U.S. marathon runners, number six of 586.

"I believe a person can only get out as much as they put in, when it comes to exercise and training," said Novotny, whose time was a personal best.  "I trained constantly, running approximately 600 miles in preparation for the marathon and my finishing time reflected it."

Tilley missed his goal by a mere 32 seconds, but already has plans to run in the Hokkaido Marathon this summer. 

People who participate in athletic events understand training is the key to success, and the Flyers are no exception. 

"Diet and rest are very important," said Martinez-Katz.  "It's essential to pay close attention to how your body responds to certain foods during the training runs so you can properly prepare for race day; rest provides your body with ample time to recover and heal."

Running 26.2 miles might seem impossible to some, but for the one of the Misawa Flyers, this was one life goal reached. All the Misawa participants credited family for support both through training and the event itself.

"My biggest motivation during the run was my husband," said Martinez-Katz.  "Somehow he made his way through the entire city and kept up with me at various points throughout the race.  Seeing him cheer me on gave me the strength I needed to continue and knowing my family and friends in Misawa were cheering for me pushed me to finish." 

With one of the six World Marathon Majors completed, some Flyers are looking forward to their next big challenge.

Editor's note: Driscoll is the wife of Lt. Col. Michael Driscoll, 14th Fighter Squadron director of operations; Byrne is the wife of Maj. Christopher Byrne, 35th Fighter Wing flight safety chief.