Re and I would like to thank everyone involved in the 2012 Megan McClung Memorial Run. This year’s run was in a new location, downtown Oak Harbor.
The transition from NAS Whidbey to Oak Harbor was unexpected, but because of the full-throttle response from the men and women who work for Oak Harbor we had a tremendously successful event.
Immediately after Mayor Scott Dudley called us to offer the city’s support and sponsorship of the race, the roads, parks, police and administration went into high gear to design the 5K and 10K courses and have them certified in time for the event.
The certification process became a major task, as qualified certifiers were hard to find during the summer months when they are off running in races and enjoying family time. However, we were certified!
Our sponsors included Roger Jobs Audi, the City of Oak Harbor, the Kitsap Sun/Northwest Navigator, Skagit Island Orthopedic Center, Banner Bank, Whidbey Bank, Walgreens, and Major McClung Detachment 1210 MCL, Greg St. Peter Design, REI, Fleet Feet Sports/Seattle, Survival Straps, Windermere of Oak Harbor, One More Mile, The Jewelry Gallery, Flyers Restaurant, McDonalds and the BeBold M3 group. These sponsors provided financial, physical and moral support to the event. Some went further and entered our event as runners!
Other sponsors included volunteers from the Fleet Readiness Center NW, the VFW Patriot Riders, the Oak Harbor Yacht Club, Coupeville Physical Therapy, the MCL Det 1210 Marines, Walgreens, Whidbey Bank, Island County Amateur Radio Club and the Navy League. Locally we had 147 registered racers who ranged in age from 6 to 82; several children in strollers being pushed by very determined parents!
The racers came from Arizona, California, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, North Dakota, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and British Columbia, as well as all over the Puget Sound! We did not have an Afghanistan race this year as the drawdown left us without a race director and few Marines to participate. However, the BeBold M3 organization (started by her dedicated running partners to continue Megan’s legacy) organized four satellite races on the East Coast.
Finally a tip of the hat to Capt. Jay Johnston, NAS Whidbey for his assistance in transitioning the run to Oak Harbor, to Major Scott Dudley for his enthusiastic acceptance and support of the run and particularly to Col. Brad Close for running the 10K after an hours sleep following a flight from the East Coast.
We cannot thank you all enough!
Mike and Re McClung
Coupeville
