PATROL SQUADRON SIX

VP-6

by LT Bruce Hagaman

   This past October 27th marked the annual running of the famous New York City Marathon. VP-6's own Aviation Structural Mechanic Chief Robert Kelly was among the 19,000 runners who started the race. His time of two hours and 26 1/2 minutes was good enough to eam him a 1st place finish in his age group, and 26th place overall
   Chief Kelly has been in training for this race for over six months. He tuned up for the race by running in the heat of the Philippines and Hawaii. "That training helped because the Summer 99 degree weather in New York could cause dehydration if you weren't used to the heat"
said Kelly.'
   Chief Kelly has run several races recently in conjuction with his heavy training schedule. After winning the open and senior divisions of the Navy lOK (6.2 mile) Cross Country race held on August 10th, he finished second in a similar race on Kauai three weeks later. Also on Kauai, he won the Garden Isle Double Feature Half Marathon in a time of 1 hour and 12 minutes. On September 30th, he placed 6th in an inter-service lOK Cross Country held at Wheeler AFB.
   Chief Kelly has run many of the major marathons, including two earlier New York Marathons in 1981 and 1982. He did well enough in those two outings to earn an invitation to this years' race. Since he was on leave at the time anyway, he decided to participate. he was also thinking about the Chicago, Philidelphia, Montreal or Marine Corps Marathon, all of which are held about this time of the year, "but the New York seemed to be the most 'exciting race, so I chose to run in it” explained Chief Kelly.


 

   It was almost a little too exciting for
him, though. Right at the start an other runner stepped on Chief Kelly's heel. He aImost lost his shoe, and had to limp for the first mile or two until the pain and stiffness subsided. He struggled over the first 13 miles to make up for the slow start though and was able to overcome the mishap.
   As he wound his way along the 26-mile course through the five borroughs of New York, Chief Kelly remembers being spurred on by the massive crowd" All along the race course, there was a constant roar in my ears. People were yelling, there were bands and radios, and people kept calling out my name, since the runners' numbers were printed in the paper the day before the race. It was very exciting."
 

VP-6's Chief Kelly holds some of his running awards. USN photo courtesy VP-6