Rustavi Races

Early this month a MSgt approached me about setting up a simple half-marathon (13m) here on our small-ish base.  He's a runner, he likes to run.  I said sure, but let's engage with the Georgians too, I'm sure some of the soldiers would want to run with us.  And let's include a 10k (6m) as well, we'll get more participation.
My overall guidance was 'think big and prepare for success'. 
Three weeks later, on Sunday 22 April we had over 300 runners from US military, US embassy, Georgian military, and local civilians.  The nearby City of Rustavi hosted what we hope will be an annual event.  The MSgt worked with the embassy for security notification and participation, with the Rustavi mayor's office for police cooperation and media, with a new Georgian brewery for sponsorship, with a local electronics shop for prizes, with a printing shop for t-shirts, and with a local restaurant for food.  I of course supervised.
It was a pretty simple course beginning with the 10k which ended at the starting point.  Those half-marathon runners circled back out for their remaining 7 miles. 

 ABOVE: Registration table
Running isn't a big exercise for most Georgians, not like what we're used to in the US.  A lot of the Georgians who were probably in their first race had an odd strategy of sprinting for 100 yards then walking for a few seconds, then sprinting again.  Every time I would catch up to a sprinter on his walking cycle he'd take off again.  This lasted for a mile or two then they pretty much realized slow & steady worked a whole lot better.

ABOVE: This is a race strategy?
What does it matter?  It was a beautiful day and the races went off without a single problem.  Really unbelievable for an event like this that had never happened before and was put together in about 10 days.

See, what a nice day.

I ran too.  Look at the HMMWV, and look at the guy to the left of it.  That's me.  I had to pee about 1/2 mile into the race.  Hey, when ya gotta go....ya gotta go.
But don't think that the Georgians are all slow.  Look at the next pic.

Georgians took 1-2-3 in the 10k.  1st prize was a Samsung Galaxy tablet, 2nd prize was a Nikon camera, 3rd prize was a MP3 player.  A Georgian also took 1st place in the half-marathon, a Marine Capt took 2nd place, and a DoD analyst took 3rd place.
OK, that's it, I'm tired.  The embassy has more photos on it's FB page.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150742855042954&set=a.10150742854562954.421118.55448127953&type=3&theater#!/tbilisi.usembassy