Iraq Soldiers To Run With Aloha Feb. 11

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Island residents helping make the Iraq Great Aloha Run
possible are (from left) Kenneth Sakihama, Randy Hiraki,
Carole Kai, Scott Dezanni, Carol ‘CJ’ Jaxon, Sgt. Sperry
and Pfc. Cornett. Photo by Lynn Kenton.

About 2,500 Schofield Barracks soldiers deployed to the Middle East will compete in the inaugural Operation Iraqi Freedom Great Aloha Run Feb. 11 - eight days ahead of Honolulu’s popular Presidents Day run.

Races are planned for 25th Infantry Division troops at three sites in Iraq and one in Kuwait.

Video footage of the races will be shown on the Aloha Stadium Jumbotron during the Feb. 19 Hawaiian Telcom Great Aloha Run in Honolulu, said Carol Jaxon, the Honolulu race director whose organization has given the satellite race its blessing, supplied race numbers and sent boxloads of special finisher T-shirts on a Jan. 17 supply flight bound for the Middle East.

“It’s great, and one of the really neat things ... is that we have two local sponsors here that have nothing to do with the military, Commercial Plumbing and The Plumbing Source, that put up the money to print those T-shirts,” Jaxon said. Certified Hawaiian Designs printed the shirts at a discount.

Halfway around the globe, the 8.1-mile courses will be dotted with water stations, just like at home on Oahu. And also just like home, the proceeds will go toward a good cause, in this case to community groups in Baghdad.

Despite the similarities, the weather may be one stark difference. For one thing, the average February temperature in Mosul, Iraq, is 46 degrees F, compared to 69 in Hawaii. Two years ago 25th Infantry soldiers ran in below-zero temperatures at the Great Aloha Run in Afghanistan.

The soldiers will be counted among the total runners entered for the Honolulu race, which regularly attracts some 20,000 entrants including military corps that run in formation in the Sounds of Freedom division.

Commercial Plumbing president Randy Hiraki said it was important for him to help get the shirts to the soldiers “to let them know how much we appreciate what they’re doing there.” His company also is the major donor of the event’s in-training shirts for Honolulu.

For Honolulu runners, it’s not too late to enter the 23rd annual Great Aloha Run. Mailed entries must be postmarked by Feb. 2, and the registration fee is $35, or $40 with a timing chip.

Entry forms are available online at www.greataloharun.com, (online registration is also available) at spas, Footlocker, GMC, Home Depot and in the front section of the Hawaiian Telcom yellow pages. Last-minute signups also will be accepted for a higher fee at the race expo from Feb. 16-18 at Blaisdell Center.

For more information, visit the website or call 528-7388.