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Anna Bernal runs passed the finish line of the Marine Corps 17.75k in Prince William County, Va., on March 28, 2015. Bernal finishes in first place for the females and ninteenth overall, finsihing the 11 mile trek in one hour, fifteen minutes and twenty seconds. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Jacqueline A. Garcia/ Released)

Photo by Lance Cpl. Jacqueline A. Garcia

Runners brave bitter cold to run Marine Corps 17.75K

2 Apr 2015 | John Hollis Marine Corps Base Quantico

Neither the frigid temperatures nor the biting winds were enough to slow down Jimmy Sosinski during Saturday morning’s running of the Marine Corps 17.75K race.

Sosinski, a 32-year-old Haymarket resident and civilian Department of Defense employee, turned in a time of 1 hour, 9 minutes, 5 seconds to top the field of 2,165 runners who braved 30 degree temperatures and a considerably lower wind chill factor to cover the sprawling 11.03-mile course through Prince William Forest Park.

A veteran of two previous Marine Corps Marathons and a Boston Marathon, Sosinski finished his first Marine Corps 17.75K nearly two minutes ahead of Jason Van Horn, the Prince William County police officer who finished second at 1:11.00. Anna Bernal, a 26-year-old Alexandria resident, was the top female finisher at 1:18.39. Kaelan Dickinson, 28, of Washington, D.C., finished second among women at 1:21:45.

“It was cold the first half of the race,” Sosinski conceded afterwards. “I was good after that. It was a fun run.”

All runners aged 14 and older, including the 244 Marines who participated, received a “Guaranteed Access” card at the finish that ensured them a coveted spot in the upcoming 40th Marine Corps Marathon to be run on Oct. 25, provided they registered before March 31.

Intended to honor the Marine Corps and the year the service was founded, the Marine Corps 17.75K has continued to grow in size and popularity over the years, with Saturday’s race including runners from 36 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and the Virgin Islands. The race filled up to capacity in less than eight minutes following the start of registration on March 11.

Among the competitors was Col. David W. Maxwell, commander, Marine Corps Base Quantico, who was running with his 20-year-old daughter, Kelsie.

“The year 1775 is a cornerstone of the U.S. Marine Corps, a foundation, a building block,” he said. “So I think it’s appropriate and kind of cool that the first major race of the marathon season starts out with the 17.75.”

The race, which began adjacent to the Montclair Tabernacle Church, challenged runners with winding turns, rolling hills and equal amounts of time running on gravel and running on pavement.

— Writer: jhollis@quanticosentryonline.com








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