Minnesota Air Force Captain Named USATF Athlete of the Week

US Air Force Captain William “Billy” Boland has been named USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week after winning the Bank of America Chicago Marathon Satellite Race in Afghanistan.

Boland, who is from Mendota Heights, beat an international field of more than 120 service men and women from different branches of the military to win in a time of 3:19. “I’ve always been a big runner,” Boland said. “But I’ve never done a marathon and people don’t seem to think you’re a serious runner unless you’ve done one. I figured now is a better opportunity than ever.

“It really was awesome,” Boland, 28, said during a phone interview with the Chicago Tribune. “I’m really looking forward to getting back to the United States and being able to run another marathon at a much lower altitude and with much cleaner air. I think it’d be kind of fun to see how fast I could do it then.”

Instead of running through the streets of the Windy City, the Kabul edition of the Chicago Marathon was held on a NATO base in Afghanistan. The ten-lap Kabul course featured concrete barriers and armored military vehicles. While competitors in Chicago and Kabul wore the same bibs, t-shirts, and medals, the Kabul entrants had to contend with an extra 5,000 feet of elevation above sea-level and notoriously bad air quality.

Chicago executive race director Carey Pinkowski notified Captain Boland that he will be offered an elite bib number for the next Bank of America Chicago Marathon that takes place after his deployment.

The satellite race was organized by Virginia Army National Guard Captain John Zimmerman of Apple Valley and raised more than $12,000 to support St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Captain Zimmermann has run ten Chicago Marathons and is seeking to run 50 by 2050. Zimmermann contacted Chicago Marathon officials and told them he would miss this year’s race. They responded by sending him four boxes of bibs, race tee shirts, and finisher medals. Zimmerman has also been offered to join the Bank of America Chicago Marathon as a visiting race director after his deployment.
Photo by Staff Sgt. Brandon Pomrenke