Peterson runner nets fast finish in Marine Corps Marathon

Published Nov. 13, 2007
By Corey Dahl
21st Space Wing Public Affairs

PETERSON AFB, Colo. -- Remember finishing that 10K in an hour a few years ago?

Or feeling great after fitting in a half-hour jog the other day?

Don't get too cocky - Capt. Jason Schlarb makes all that look like geriatric shuffling.

The 29-year-old Peterson Airman just finished third among Air Force men in the Marine Corps Marathon Oct. 28 in Washington D.C. Finishing 31st overall out of 21,000 finishers, Captain Schlarb ran the 26.2-mile course in a speedy 2 hours and 37 minutes.

Amazing, right? Not really, according to Captain Schlarb. He actually finished last year's marathon 50 seconds faster. A runner since college - he went to Montana State on a track scholarship - it's just something that comes easily to him.

"I played soccer in high school, so I had a lot of endurance. I was a skinny kid," he said. "It just kind of came naturally."

Today, Captain Schlarb, who works in the Space Logistics Group, is one of four men on the Air Force's six member cross-country and marathon teams. He attends training camps and races with the groups throughout the year, competing against teams fielded by the Marines, Navy and Army.

The rivalries between the branches and his responsibility to the team, Captain Schlarb said, help to keep him motivated to stay at the top of his game year round. And motivation comes in handy when he's in training - to prepare for races, he works in long weekly runs of up to 20 miles at a time.

"Without the team, my motivation probably wouldn't be as high if I were just training for some marathon for my own self-interest," he said. "I push myself a little harder."

All that work pays off in the long run. Captain Schlarb has been able to travel with the team, meeting servicemembers from all over the country and competing in unique races like the Marine Corps Marathon.

And, as a runner and an Airman, Captain Schlarb said being able to participate in military-focused races - like the Marine Corps Marathon, which winds through Washington D.C.'s many monuments and focuses on past, present and fallen military members - is more meaningful than just running in your average road race.
"It's a pretty emotional race compared to running for just Joe Schmoe's marathon," Captain Schlarb said. "That's one of the coolest parts."

Fleet-footed Airman