Yokota Striders Hosted the 37th Annual Frostbite Run

  • Published
  • By Yasuo Osakabe
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, JAPAN --  A freezing morning at Yokota Air Base didn’t stop about 12,000 people from gathering on Yokota’s roads for the 37th Annual Yokota Striders Frostbite Run Half-Marathon and 5K and 2K Road Race, Jan. 14, 2018.

The race has grown in popularity and now attracted more than 8,000 runners in the half-marathon alone, 3,000 runners in the 5K run, and 700 children and family runners in the 2K run around the south side of the base.

“We are excited to share our love for running with everyone involved today,” said Beau Veazey, president of the Yokota Striders. “We made many improvements this year so that all of the participants enjoy their experiences while running in the event.”

The morning began with a 2-kilometer kids run and family run for children and parents following by the 5-kilometer road race and finally the half-marathon.

“This is the first time I have ever ran over 10 miles in my life,” said Captain Noah Palicia, 36th Airlift Squadron C-130J pilot, who ran the half-marathon.

Palicia also had his first experience running with Japanese runners.

“They are really friendly,” said Palicia. “A lot of runners helped others out are along way. We traded off who is leading during wind phases (gusts of wind that increase difficulty). We coordinated with each other and were able to take turn drafting off one another:”

Palicia was one of runners from the Status of Force Agreement (SOFA) who participated in the Frostbite Run. He finished 1:18:57 in the half-marathon, placing in the top 30 of 8,000 runners.

“This event allowed us to have a good time as we exercised,” said Palicia. “It was a fantastic competition and I enjoyed running throughout the event.”