Holiday classic attracts more than 700
31st Annual Jingle Bell Jog brings runners to Fayetteville

by Michelle Butzgy
Paraglide

	photos by Michelle Butzgy/Paraglide James McDermott, #188, pulls ahead of the pack at the start of the 7th Group Association’s 31st Jingle Bell Jog held in downtown Fayetteville Saturday. McDermott won the 10K race.

More than 700 people participated in the 7th Group Association’s 31st Annual Jingle Bell Jog, which took place for the first time in downtown Fayetteville, Saturday.

The event began at 8:45 a.m. under a chilly drizzle as 374 runners took off for the 10K portion of the race. More than 200 walkers, bikers and runners followed behind, participating in the 5K walk.

“It’s a great event,” said Kevin Key, the event’s race director. “The weather worked out okay forus. All things considered, it worked out pretty good — great running weather.”

As of Friday, one day before the event was to kick off, 583 people had officially registered, according to Kurt Stein, race registration coordinator. He said about 130 more participants registered on race day.

The race also allowed returning participant Capt. Ivan Castro, who regularly enters in competitive races, despite being injured in combat in 2006. Castro was blinded by a mortar round during a deployment to Iraq, but he continues his streak of participating in nearly every Jingle Bell Jog since 1999.

“There were only two years I wasn’t able to participate, the year I was injured and last year when I was the race director on post,” he said. “I’m looking forward to this.”

For many participants, the race offered an opportunity to bring the children and Family pets to participate.

Ian Kalgren, of the 3rd Special Forces Group and his wife Margaret Walton, were ready to make the trek with their eight-month-old son, Aodhan Kalgren, who enjoyed the ride from in a high-tech screened stroller during the 5K walk.

James McDermott, a Navy corpsman, won the race with a time of 35:20.

“I thought it was a good race. It was nice,” said McDermott, after finishing his first Jingle Bell Jog. “I thought they did a good job putting this together.”

For the $25 registration fee, all participants received long sleeve, moisture wicking t-shirts as well as the chance to run. The event is sanctioned by USA Track and Field.

According to the event’s Web site, all proceeds go to the 7th Group Association, a nonprofit, all volunteer organization, whose mission is to support Families of the 7th Special Forces Group with particular emphasis on providing support, framed awards, flags and shadow boxes to the Families of fallen warriors.