'I run because it is the essence of freedom.'

From the AP:

TIRIN KOT, Afghanistan (AP) — A U.S. soldier won Afghanistan’s first marathon Sunday, battling the country’s thin mountain air for more than three hours before crossing the finish line, where he promptly burst into tears remembering four comrades killed in recent fighting.

A total of 184 soldiers and civilians working for the U.S. military took part in the race at Firebase Ripley, a remote camp near Tirin Kot in central Uruzgan province, facing high altitude and a bumpy track as well as the threat of attack.

Plastic palm trees among the gun stores and bunkers near the course lightened the mood for the runners, who the Afghan National Olympic Committee said were competing in the first marathon in the war-ravaged country’s history.

But the darker side of their mission resurfaced as the winner labored across the finish line after five long laps of the airstrip to cheers and handshakes in 3 hours, 12 minutes and 15 seconds — an impressive time for the conditions.

“I just thought about those four guys when I crossed, that they won’t be going home with us, and it kind of hit me,” 1st Lt. Mike Baskin, a California native, told an Associated Press reporter.

Here is a story from last month on the race preparations:

[Captain Ivan] Hurlburt said troops at his firebase lack the comforts of bases in Kandahar and Bagram. No USO or VIP visits. No email availability for the average soldier. Only four phones for morale calls. No air conditioning in a land where summer temperatures can soar to 120 degrees. Showers are available only when a 100-gallon water tank is full.

Asked why he would want to run a marathon in such a dangerous and uncomfortable setting, [1st Lieutenant Ian] Grimstad [of New Hampshire] said, "I run because it is the essence of freedom."