Two hundred-eighty Naval Station Guantanamo Bay residents participated in the 2017 Thanksgiving Half-Marathon and 5K, hosted by the installation's Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) office.

The marathon began and ended at Cooper's Field. All participants received a coin and the fastest runners received a medal.

"Thanksgiving is one of the biggest run days in the states," said Jim Holbert, MWR assistant fitness director. "It's a great morale booster for everyone that comes out here. They really push themselves to reach for their goals."

The half-marathon is a yearly event that gives residents the opportunity to come together, have a great time, and eat "guilt free."

The race started at the entrance of the Cooper Field parking lot on Central Magazine Road and continued through Recreation Road, Kittery Beach Road, Windmill Beach, Skyline Drive, Nob Hill, Sherman Avenue, and ended on the 50-yard line of the football field at Cooper Field. The turn-around point was at Windmill Beach. The race was a total of 13.1 miles.

According to Holbert, the Thanksgiving Half-Marathon and 5k Fun Run attracts approximately 300 people every year.

"It's a turkey day run," said JTF Trooper #1. "Why not get out early in the morning, work out, and enjoy the rest of your day with friends and possibly family?"

The goal of the half-marathon is to build morale for all the Troopers that are away from home and bring people together, especially during the holidays.

"One of the reasons I signed up was so that I could eat whatever I wanted for Thanksgiving," said JTF Trooper #2. "The other reason I signed up was because this time of year, people tend to get home sick. This is one of the ways I feel connected to my family back home and not so far away on the holidays."

The awards were categorized by age and gender and were presented to the fastest three people to complete the race in each of the following age categories: 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, and 50 and older. The first male trooper to complete the race finished in 1:49:52, and the first female trooper to complete the race finished in 1:55:57.

Holbert also expressed special thanks to everyone participating in the MWR event and the volunteers that helped make everything go smoothly.

MWR would love to continue to offer morale boosting opportunities, according to Holbert, and they encourage everyone to continue supporting them.

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