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Redbud runners place first

  • Published
  • By John Stuart
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  It was a hot day as joggers made their way down blossoming tree-lined avenues in Oklahoma City.

Temperatures spiked while water stations every two miles helped the perspiring participants. But that didn't stop 7,000 runners from pinning on a number and running the Oklahoma City Redbud Classic April 11.

Among the masses, five Air Force runners found their place to compete as Team Tinker. They laced up their trainers for the annual 10k -- 6.2 mile -- race that weaves through the scenic Nichols Hills neighborhood. Though the weather slowed them down, times were still good across the board, team member Danny Ponder said. Robert Yara ran a 40:54, Ponder finished in 43:25, Michael McCadden's time was 58:08, Jeff Cockerill ran it in 1:00:19 and Stacey Isaac recorded a 1:13:30 time.

Tinker has fielded a team in the race for each of the past five years and this year the team came away with another first-place finish in their age group.

"It was a warm day, it was great for watching but 80 degrees is pretty warm for running, it really slowed everybody's time down I know that," Ponder said. "There were a lot of people out there running and a lot of people out there watching. It's just a great event every year."

Ponder is hoping to put together a larger team for the annual 15k Tulsa Run over Halloween weekend. He stressed that participation is open to all Tinker-affiliated patrons with all levels of fitness.

"Of all the hundreds and hundreds of runners out here at Tinker it would be nice to put a real big team together," Ponder said.

Though it was hot on Sunday, the six miles is one of the shortest races this cadre of Tinker runners will do all year. Ponder is coming off several ultra distance events in the last year. He won a 24-hour, 114-mile endurance race in October, attempted a 100k run in January and completed back to back races of 25k and 50k distances.

The other Tinker teammates have run marathons and other competitive races between them as well, Ponder said.

Competition aside, running is something everyone can do, Ponder said. He couldn't imagine life without it and he hopes more Tinker runners will take of the torch alongside him in coming races.

"It's a great stress reliever and running on a treadmill is not for me," Ponder said. "Like people go fishing and don't catch anything, that's what running is like for me. I just want to be out there."