Runners begin the Annapolis 10-Mile run that began and ended at the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium Aug. 30. USNA photo by MC1(SCW) Chad Runge.

The Annapolis Run is a 10-mile race set up by Annapolis Striders, Inc., a volunteer, nonprofit running club that includes many U.S. Naval Academy alumni.

The race started at 7:40 a.m. at the Navy and Marine Corps Stadium with 5,500 participants, and the first person across the finish line was roughly an hour later.

The Midshipmen who participated were there on their own effort or as part of the marathon team. This was the fourth continuous year that the Academy has participated in the event.

‘‘It was a great experience, because we had on our Navy uniforms so everyone knew that we were running for the Academy,” said Midn. 1⁄C Shannon Yingling, a participant in the race. ‘‘There’s so much support from the community, whether it be people on the sidelines wat-ching or the actual other runners themselves.”

Along with those who participated in the race, Mids volunteered to help with setting up and taking down the event.

‘‘The Mids are a huge help,” said Lisa Fontaine, an event coordinator.

Along with the event in Annapolis, ten members of Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 2 and Combined Task Force 151, embarked aboard USS Anzio (CG 68), participated in the run in Bahrain.

Organizers allowed officers and Sailors the opportunity to run the race while deployed to U.S. 5th Fleet's area of responsibility. Runners and fitness walkers coordinated start times so they all began the race at the same time the Annapolis runners began.

“Even though the race was held at Annapolis and we're deployed to Bahrain, I thought it would be a great way to foster camaraderie within our unit while gaining a little connection to home,“ said Cmdr. Keith Sykes, ESG 2's supply officer, in a Navy NewsStand interview. “Even though we stay extremely busy here in theater, physical fitness is still an important way of life for us and this was a fun way to get some good exercise and feel a little closer to home.“

After completing the race on treadmills aboard their respective ships, the Sailors were then awarded the 2009 Annapolis 10-Miler Finisher t-shirt as their prize for pushing themselves to the limit.

For the Midshipmen back home, the feeling of community spirit is what mattered most.

‘‘You just keep hearing ‘Go Navy,’ and everyone cheers for you because they know you’re representing your school,” said Yingling.