Army Colonel Keeps Vow to Wife by Completing a Long-Distance 10k from Afghanistan
Army Colonel Ed Barrett and his wife Kristin vowed to run the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k together for as long as they were physically capable, and he wasn't going to let a deployment to Afghanistan get in the way of that vow.
My name is Ed Barrett. I'm an Army colonel, deployed to Afghanistan for a year. I'm married to the girl of my dreams, with four amazing kids, but we're kind of an unusual family. In 2009, my wife, Kristin, who'd been living in Richmond for most of her adult life, lost her first husband, Mickey, to a heart attack. At roughly the same time, my ex-wife and I split up (second deployment in three years was too much for her, I guess). Kristin and I had been college sweethearts, but had stopped seeing each other, married other people, and hadn't spoken to each other in over 18 years. After all that time, and after the tragedy she'd had to deal with, Kristin contacted me and we became friends, and eventually sweethearts, all over again.
As we realized we both had a passion for running, the 2010 Monument Avenue 10K was the first big event we got to do together after re-connecting. On May 14th, 2011, Kristin and I got married, and we're really happy – I am the luckiest man alive. She, and her two beautiful blonde daughters, and I, and my two handsome sons, are kind of a quirky Brady Bunch. I think, because of some of the sad things we've lived through, we have an appreciation for each other that few people have.
Because of its timing at the start of our relationship, the 10K is a very special event for me and Kristin, and we vowed that we will continue to run it together, every year, until we're physically incapable. Additionally, last year, we brought our 13-year-old daughter and son along, who each ran their first 10K. They are now both on their high school cross country team.
A deployment (yes, my third since 2006), however, would make that vow more difficult to keep. I thought about it and decided to contact Sports Backers, who are the Ukrops Monument Avenue 10K race organizers. I sent the background I included above and finished with this:
“… on April 13th, 2013, however, I'll still be in Afghanistan. It's not where I want to be on that date, but that's not my choice. I have often seen remote versions of popular races done over here, as well as in Iraq (I ran the Peachtree 10K a few years ago, parallel to the big race in Atlanta), and was wondering if you would be willing to consider doing a remote version of the race here in Afghanistan. I'm sure most of the guys on Camp Eggers (where I live) would be excited to do it … All the local race staff would be volunteers from the deployed force, with some help from our Morale, Welfare, and Recreation directorate, and our gym staff. All it would cost Martins would be some t-shirts. Ours is a small camp; there wouldn't be that many people. Please let me know, if you'd be interested. I can work to iron out details on this end. I know this seems odd, but it isn't unprecedented. I can't be with my wife to run “our race” this year, but this would be a pretty good second best. Someday, I want to be able to say, 'we never missed a race together.'”
I figured I might get a response; maybe not. If I did, I was fully expecting to be told that it was impossible; that we'd like to help, but … Instead, here's what I got back from Will Dixon, a Sports Backers Event Manager, 45 minutes later:
“Colonel Barrett,
Thank you for your service!
What an amazing story! I was barely able to get through it with dry eyes.
We would be honored to help you and your wife run the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k together on April 13 and will help in any way we can. T-shirts are 100% feasible. We can also offer some noise makers, signs that can be personalized for others to cheer you on, and any other race materials that you may find appropriate (posters, race bibs, etc…).
Obviously, we have some time to work out the details, but please follow up with more information on what we can do to make the race a reality. Thank you for reaching out to us. I look forward to working with you.”
I guess it's on! Pleasantly shocked, proud, happy – I couldn't have asked for a better response. I got on the morale line to call my wife and tell her. Life is good.
Now, I should mention, there are a few differences between the venues. First, Richmond is at an elevation of 166 feet above sea level; Camp Eggers – 5,900. There are about 40,000 people on Monument Avenue; about 100 on Gator Alley (the main road … well, about the only road, on the camp). There are awesome bands on every block in Richmond, and crazy supportive spectators. At Eggers, we have an old boom box; a local muezzin singing out a loud call to prayer, just outside the camp wall; and a bunch of Afghan support workers who can't understand why we'd get up at the crack of dawn to run (or at least that's what the expressions on their faces are telling me). There are even differences in air quality. At 5,900 feet, one of the big differences is, there's not much oxygen in the air, and, unfortunately lots of other pollutants and dust instead.
I also knew we wouldn't be going to Millie's afterwards for our ritual: a big, delicious skillet of “Devil's Mess,” but, if this is the closest I get to doing the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k with Connor, Kaitie, and my wife, I love it.
The Camp Eggers Commander, Colonel Rob Woodmansee, and our Morale, Welfare, and Recreation chiefs, Air Force Captain Julian Glover and Albanian Navy Lieutenant Artan Malo, and their staff, put a lot of work into making this a great race. The course itself consisted of 10 laps around our postage stamp of a camp.
Packet Pick-Up 
Race volunteers
As for the race itself, I was sucking wind. I'd just gotten back from my R&R, and I was used to sea level, not the Himalayan foothills of Kabul. I also had some important work to do the night before the race, and didn't get a chance to sleep at all. I tried to keep up with my buddy, Richmond native son, Colonel Dave Shugart, but that … well, didn't work out. Eventually, my goal became not getting lapped by that jack-rabbit. We also had Lieutenant Colonel John Broomhead running. John and I were deployed to Bosnia together in 1996-97, when we were captains in the 1st Infantry Division. The Army is a very small world.
Another friend, French Army Major Jean-Hugues Delcourt, ran by me like I was standing still. There is a very close-knit NATO family here. I also got beat by friends from the UK, Canada, South Korea, Denmark, Germany, and at least a dozen other countries. This was, in fact, probably the first and last time a platoon of Mongolian infantrymen will run the Monument Avenue 10K. Our security force on Eggers consists of a company of great, professional, tough guys from Mongolia. It appeared that every one of them, who wasn't on shift, was out running … and yes, one of them won the race. The Coalition of the Sweaty. And fast. I need to get back in training.
Col. Barrett in action during the race 
In the end, it was a great run, punctuated by a big breakfast, at our Dining Facility. Again, not Millie's, but I did leave full.
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Mongolian Infantrymen
Back home, Kristin, Connor, and Kaitie ran wonderful races, in what I was told was perfect Richmond weather. My son, the human disposal, ate all the free food he could carry, as usual. They sent me a great shot of the three of them, right after the race. It looked a lot like last year's, with one face missing. We'll fix that next year, and hopefully add our Nick (11) and maybe even Jenna (12). I already got an invitation from Will Dixon, for March 29th, 2014. Count on it, Sir. Wouldn't miss it for anything.
Kristin, Connor and Kaitie post-race at the 10k
On behalf of myself and my family, as well as the deployed US and Coalition troops here at Camp Eggers, I just wanted to say thanks for your enthusiastic support. Will – you guys at Sports Backers and Martins really stepped up, took great care of us, and we won't forget it. You get used to not having things when you're deployed, and there's lots of stuff I miss, but thanks to you, I didn't miss our run. Just wanted to say thanks.
And to my wife, Kristin: Last one you'll run without me by your side, Darling. I promise.