Marine Corps Base Hawaii -- Participants got out of bed early to compete in the Surf and Turf 5K run on base, April 6, 2013. A total of 118 contestants competed in an individual effort during the course that started and ended at the Officers’ Club.
The runners bolted off the start line, making their way down the street leading to the golf course. They continued on a path through the golf course that led them to the beach. After running on the shoreline for a mile, runners reached the halfway point and headed back toward the finish line.
Throughout the course, plenty of volunteers from the Single Marine and Sailor Program and Marine Corps Community Services handed out cups of water to runners passing by and shouted motivating words of encouragement.
“People want to better themselves — not just Marines and sailors, but civilians too,” said Cpl. Michael Hurtado, who is with 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, and volunteered for the Single Marine and Sailor Program and a native of Brooklyn, N.Y. “That’s why I love coming out here to help. It’s not just for entertainment, it’s to test your limits as well.”
Staff Sgt. Tyler Hubbard took first place with a time of 17:56. He also finished first in last year’s Surf and Turf 5K.
“I’ve been practicing some new training and running exercises,” said Hubbard, who works with Marine Air Ground 24 and is a native of Grass Valley, Ore. “I wanted to see how much I’ve been progressing through my workouts, but I also came out to have a good time too.”
As the sun rose above the horizon, contestants enjoyed running on the beach despite it being the hardest part of the run. Runner Lance Cpl. Kyle Ferrin, who placed second with a time of 19:44, participated solely for that reason.
“I’m here just to have fun this morning,” Ferrin said, who is part of 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment and a native of Clinton, Utah. “I love running on the beach. Who knows, I might even take my shoes off.”
Although contestants were to compete individually, many runners completed the 5K as a group. Master Sgt. Daniel Palumbo ran the course with his two sons, one of them by his side the whole course.
“Both of them love to run 5Ks,” Palumbo said, who works with 647th Security Forces at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and native of Largo, Fla. “I encourage everyone to participate in events like these. It’s not just for personal gain, but it’s an opportunity to get to know your neighbors as well.”
When runners finished the beach portion of the course, they made their way back through the golf course and up the hill to the Officers’ Club. The contestants pushed themselves the whole way as friends and family members ran along the sidelines in support. Palumbo’s son ran next to his father through the entire course, despite feeling sore and tired.
“Running through the sand was the hardest part because I kept falling down,” Palumbo’s son said. “I kept getting back up because I didn’t want to lose to my dad.”