PARWAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – “One percent of the base is awake and ready to go; we’re about to wake up the other 99 percent!” said U.S. Army Col. Benjamin J. Corell, commander, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Task Force Red Bulls.

Seconds later a controlled detonation of explosives signaled the beginning of the Boston Marathon on Bagram Air Field for 363 service members and civilians, April 16.

For 170 of the participating runners, this was their first marathon. For U.S. Navy Lt. Kris J. Pomplun, aide-de-camp for the senior civilian representative for Regional Command - East, it was more than just a marathon. Pomplun said it was an experience of a lifetime – it was a “bucket list” item.

The “Boston,” as it is affectionately referred to by fans, is more than just a 26.2-mile run.

“It’s like the Super Bowl, the World Series and the Indy 500 all rolled up into one,” said Pomplun.

The run is an annual marathon hosted by the city of Boston, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday in April. The Boston first began in 1897 and is the world’s oldest annual marathon and one of the most popular road races.

Pomplun, who worked closely with the Boston Athletic Association to bring the signature marathon to BAF, said he got the idea while doing what he loves.

“I was working out on the treadmill and kind of thinking about how I will miss another Boston,” said Pomplun. “Well, maybe I will try and a make a phone call and bring the Boston here to Bagram.”

Pomplun said for the past six years the BAA sponsored a shadow race of the Boston Marathon in Iraq. But, since the association had not heard from anyone in Iraq interested in holding it there, they agreed to sponsor a shadow race here in Afghanistan.

"As long as you find yourselves serving abroad to defend our country, it will be our privilege to support your efforts to host the Boston Marathon in Afghanistan,” said Thomas S. Grilk, executive director for BAA.

Initially, Pomplun thought this was a great idea, but said he quietly wondered if it would all come together. Once he realized it would happen, Pomplun quickly reached out to another colleague, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Lisa Bryan, who works with TF Red Bulls Joint Visitor’s Bureau.

Bryan immediately got to work laying out the racecourse and verifying that it was, indeed, 26.2 miles. At first, she and her team used a measuring wheel and walked the nearly eight-mile airfield perimeter. Pomplun had a race map of the base, which was previously used in another marathon several years earlier. But, as is only the case in a combat zone, the map was classified. And, Bagram had grown quite a bit over the several years since the last race. Eventually, Pomplun, Bryan and the others reached out to Army civil engineers who developed detailed computer-aided design drawings.

Once verified, Pomplun sent an e-mail to the BAA and confirmed the course met the race standard.

The association responded by donating everything the 400 racers would receive if they were running the actual Boston Marathon in the States; they sent 400 finisher’s medals, T-shirts and race numbers.

To the organizer’s surprise, the race filled up in less than three days.

Once word got out the Boston was coming to Bagram, a group of soldiers from Tarin Kowt in Southern Afghanistan reached out and expressed their own desire to run. Pomplun said he wanted to share this amazing experience with as many people as possible and granted them 37 race slots.

While running the racecourse, Pomplun said he would occasionally hear runners talking about how they may not have ever gotten the chance to run the Boston and how much it meant to them.

Pomplun said there were many special moments throughout the race. However, the one that stands out the most occurred just before the controlled detonation.

Usually, someone is designated to sing the National Anthem before a race, but they hadn’t planned for it in Bagram.

Pomplun said somewhere amidst the crowd of almost 400 people, one voice, unaccompanied, started singing and was soon joined by all of the others. Each of the 363 participants finished the race.


"While we keep busy each spring with the planning and execution of the annual Boston Marathon, we know that our Armed Services are always busy, always on guard, and always working to keep us safe,” said Grilk. “With such devotion to our country and dedication to the defense of the freedoms we enjoy, it has been an honor to support the fine men and women at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan as they competed in 'The Boston Marathon in Afghanistan.’”

Pomplun said he appreciated all the efforts of the BAA and thanked them for their generosity.

“For that one day [the BAA] gave 400 of us here in Afghanistan an amazing experience – thank you for that gift,” said Pomplun.

Grilk agreed, "This year on Patriots' Day at the Boston Marathon we saw many examples of strength and of the determination required to overcome adversity. Adding the efforts of everyone at Bagram to the efforts of those with us here in Boston makes for an even richer story as we look back on the 2011 Boston Marathon."