Fort Belvoir, Virginia –
More than 100 employees participated in the HQC Halloween 5K Run/Walk at the McNamara Headquarters Complex Nov. 5. The Morale, Welfare and Recreation Program office sponsored the zombie-themed event, which had been postponed from Oct. 28 due to inclement weather.
The course started and finished at the Gate 2 side of the McNamara Headquarters Complex, winding through the woods of Fort Belvoir.
Participants gathered at the starting line under an overcast sky with temperatures in the 60s.
“The weather is perfect for running,” said Catherine Draper, procurement analyst with DLA Energy.
“It’s my first run here—I only decided this morning that I would do it,” said Jason Dunlap, contract specialist with the U.S. Army Petroleum Center. “My colleagues talked me into it.”
Because Halloween took place last week, most participants left their costumes at home.
However, HQC Site Director John Holwick said that runners were about to participate in the “zombie” theme whether they knew it or not.
“When they clear ‘Heart Attack Hill,’ everyone will look like the walking dead,” said Holwick, referring to a particularly nasty climb about 1.5 miles into the course.
Air Force Capt. Brandon Bryan of the Air Force Petroleum Agency crossed the finish line first with a time of 19 minutes, 54 seconds. Carina Rankinen, a general engineer with the Naval Supply Systems Command Energy office, came in with the fastest female time at 23:49.
This is the first of four 5K run/walk events that MWR will hold during the fiscal year. Upcoming events include the HQC Frosty Bear Run/Walk Jan. 20 and the HQC Spring Fling Run/Walk March 23.
“These events help build esprit de corps among employees,” said MWR Recreation, Fitness and Wellness Manager Beverly Williams. “They also fit in well with (DLA Director Air Force Lt. Gen. Andy Busch’s) strategy to increase resiliency among service members and Defense Department civilian employees.”