Marathon man runs hot in Iraq

FINISHED: Marathon runner CMDR Whittaker at Camp Taji, Baghdad..

By CMDR Andrew Whittaker


Ever thought of running a marathon around concertina wire and tanks where the daytime temperature reaches well above 100ºF? If so, Baghdad is the place for you.

CMDR Andrew Whittaker has been in Iraq since the start of August, as an embedded staff officer in the Multi-National Force – Iraq, located in the International Zone in Baghdad.
An experienced marathon runner, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to run the Camp Taji marathon when it presented itself.

CMDR Whittaker said that the marathon at Taji (a major Coalition and Iraqi Army base about 25km north of Baghdad) was advertised with only a week’s notice, so most competitors had little opportunity to build up distance training.

He told Navy News that the marathon was run at night (starting at 10pm) for two reasons; firstly to avoid the daytime heat, and secondly because the insurgency were less likely to shell the base at that time.

The safety brief before the race was somewhat different including instructions such as: avoiding the concertina wire and trying not to get run over by tanks, but also that if the “incoming fire” alarm sounded all runners were to take cover in bunkers, then recommence running after the “all clear” was sounded.

CMDR Whittaker finished second in 3 hours and 14 minutes.”

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