Racing for good - Travis Maintainers complete third Reno-Tahoe Odyssey

  • Published
  • By Ellen L. Hatfield
  • 349th Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  "Odyssey: a long wandering or voyage usually marked by many changes of fortune."

For the third year, a group of Travis Air Force Base maintenance Airmen, both active and Reserve, came together to race for the greater good. The Reno-Tahoe Odyssey takes place the end of May-first of June yearly, and begins on Friday, concluding Saturday. This was the ninth year of this relay run of 178 miles, tackled by 12-person teams.

The race begins in downtown Reno, traveling through the Sierra Nevada mountains and along the shore of Lake Tahoe, circling back through the Northern Nevada high desert to end where it began.

Senior Master Sgt. Randy Robb, 349th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, is one of three original team members, and coordinator for the group. The rest of this year's team included two other third time runners, Senior Master Sgt. Carl Carlson, also with the 349th AMXS, and Senior Airman Mitchell Beede, 60th Maintenance Operations Squadron, as well as Master Sgt. Alex Roberson, Defense Couriers, Master Sgt. Steven Swan, 60th AMXS (and just back from a deployment), Master Sgt. Hilda Maurera, 945th AMXS, Master Sgt. Neno Westfall, 349th AMXS, and Tech. Sgt. Timothy Covey, Staff Sgt. Chia Thao, Senior Airmen Jose Cardona, Bryan Dvorachek and Alex Samaniego, all 60th AMXS.

It wasn't easy getting the team together, Robb said, as they can't train together, with the tempo of deployments for both the active and reserve runners. They are all at different levels of training. One is an ultra marathoner, two run marathons, some have done a number of 10-k races, Robb completed four marathons in six months, and one admits to being a "sometime" runner.

"I really enjoy doing the relays," said Covey.

Swan said he likes the camaraderie and teamwork. "I was the final leg runner for the last race, and all these guys kept me going, and cheered me on," he said.

"There is always lots of cheering on, and passing of water bottles," said Robb.

They pay for their expenses themselves, including their race fees, which go directly to two charities that benefit from this event. They run 178 miles, in 36 legs, starting at 7 a.m. Friday and continuing through until 4 p.m. Saturday. The cost this year was one rolled ankle, some black toenails, sore muscles and tired bodies. The reward was new memories and a goal to make a team for next year: priceless.

The team came in 183rd out of 257 teams, with a time of 28 hours, 27 minutes, averaging 9:36 per mile. On the Donner Downhill, which is an 8-mile timed leg, Roberson, the ultra marathoner, ran that, and came in 48th out of the 257 teams, at 8:57 per mile. Robb will continue to be the team coordinator for the 10th Annual Reno-Tahoe Odyssey in 2014. Way to go, team!