WASHINGTON – Air Force 2nd Lt. Ronald Bradosky wanted to win Sunday’s Marine Corps Marathon Sunday to honor his grandfather. Janet Cherobon, a native of Kenya studying for U.S. citizenship, said the marathon is a sample of America.
Bradosky won the race by crossing the finish line in 2 hours, 23 minutes and 30 seconds. Cherobon was the female winner. The Marine Corps Marathon marked its 35th anniversary this year with 30,000 people registered from the United States and more than 40 countries, including 4,385 active duty service members.
“It feels fantastic,” said Bradosky, 23, of the 392nd Training Squadron, 381st Training Group, Vanderberg Air Force Base, Calif., adding “I’m glad to represent the Armed Forces.”
Bradosky said the main obstacle was the dust in the National Mall, but otherwise, the running conditions were perfect.
“We had a little of wind, but not as much as I had expected,” he said. “Overall I enjoyed the Mall.”
Bradosky, who ran four marathons in Boston and Seattle, came to Washington with one idea in mind: “My goal was to win.” He also had one person in mind — his grandfather, who died last Saturday.
“Anything is possible if you put your mind to it and work hard,” he said. “Keep training, be persistent and you can do it.”
Marine First Lt. Sean Barrett, 25, of 2nd Radio Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Headquarters Group, Camp Lejeune, N.C., was third overall and the first Marine to cross the finish line. He finished in 2:24:8.
This was the first marathon for Barrett, who got back from a tour in Iraq in the spring and started training in June.
“It was definitely an experience the last couple of miles,” he said. “I could really feel the pain.”
Barrett said it was a privilege to represent the Marine Corps and it was great to feel the encouragement from everyone during the race.
The marathon, he said, was also an opportunity to work together with people from other branches of the military and other countries.
“This competition within the competition epitomizes how the services work together when we deploy,” he said.
Cherobon, 32, the female winner, finished in 2:39:19.
“It was amazing to get it over with and finish,” she said.
A native of Kenya, Cherobon now lives in Georgia and will become an American citizen in less than two weeks. She said she was training for the race while studying for her citizenship test, which she took in the beginning of October.
She participated in the marathon, she said, because she already feels American.
Navy Lt. Gina Slaby, 29, stationed in Tucson, Ariz., for the Defense Contract Management Agency, was the first active duty woman to cross the finish line and second among women runners generally. Her time was 2:46:58. This was her third Marine Corps Marathon.
“The last three miles were tough,” she said. “My thighs were cramping; my pace slowed down.”
Slaby, who trained for four months, came with the goal of eventually qualifying for the Olympics. She got off a ship five months ago and training there was hard, she said.
“The next three years I’ll be on land and I’ll have plenty of time to try to get to the qualifier,” she said.