Two compete in 'All Guard' marathon; finish 14th, 23rd in men's, women's fields

May 31, 2007 – Two Georgia National Guard Soldiers competed in this year’s 26.2 mile “All Guard” Marathon. Lt. Col. Jeff Olive of Ellenwood 's Headquarter Detachment, Joint Force Headquarters finished 14th among Guardsmen and 26th overall among the more than 770 competitors in the men's division.The event was part of the Lincoln Marathon, hosted in Lincoln, Neb., May 6.

In the female division Sergeant 1st Class Devika Hull with Ellenwood’s 221st Military Intelligence Battalion, finished 23rd among Guard competitors and 145th overall in a field of more thatn 300 women runners.

For Hull, this is the second time she has competed, while Olive returned to the marathon for the third time.

“The weekend consists of recruiting workshop and get-togethers,” said Olive. “Every state puts together a team.”

The marathon is largely viewed as a recruiting and retention event within the All Guard sports program. Each state sends two to five runners, and those who qualify for the team tour the country and compete in several different marathons.

“This year’s All Guard women’s team was the most competitive in history,” explained Olive. That team, he added, finished the run in less than 3 hours and 40 minutes.

To qualify for the All Guard team, men must finish in the top 40 of all National Guard male runners. Olive’s 14th place finish landed him a spot on the team. Women must be within the top 15 of all female runners. Hull missed making the team by 4 places.

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