Maintainers compete in northern Nevada race

  • Published
  • By Ellen L. Hatfield
  • 349th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  For the third year, a group of Travis maintenance Airmen, both active and Reserve, came together for the Reno-Tahoe Odyssey which took place from May 31 to June 1.

The race began in downtown Reno, Nev., traveled through the Sierra Nevada and along the shore of Lake Tahoe before circling back through the northern Nevada high desert to end where it started.

Senior Master Sgt. Randy Robb, 349th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, was one of three original team members and coordinator for the group. The rest of this year's team included two other third-time runners, Senior Master Sgt. Carl Carlson, also with the 349th AMXS, and Senior Airman Mitchell Beede, 60th Maintenance Operations Squadron, as well as Master Sgt. Alex Roberson, defense couriers, Master Sgt. Steven Swan, 60th AMXS, Master Sgt. Hilda Maurera, 945th AMXS, Master Sgt. Neno Westfall, 349th AMXS, and TSgt. Timothy Covey, Staff Sgt. Chia Thao, Senior Airmen Jose Cardona, Bryan Dvorachek and Alex Samaniego, all 60th AMXS.

It wasn't easy getting the team together, Robb said, as they can't train together, due to the tempo of deployments for both the active and Reserve runners.

They are all at different levels of training. One is an ultra marathoner, two run marathons, some have done a number of 10K races,

Robb completed four marathons in six months and admits to being a "sometime" runner.

"I really enjoy doing the relays," Covey said.

Swan said he likes the camaraderie and teamwork.

"I was the final leg runner for the last race, and all these guys kept me going, and cheered me on," he said.

"There is always lots of cheering on, and passing of water bottles," Robb said.

The 12-man teams pay for their expenses, including their race fees, which went directly to two charities that benefit from this event. Participants ran 178 miles, in 36 legs, starting at 7 a.m. May 31 and continued through until 4 p.m. June 1.

This year marked the event's ninth year.