Amica Press Releases

11.29.09

Woodley and Elliott are First to Cross the Finish Line at The Amica Insurance Seattle Marathon Shadow Run in Baghdad

More than 300 soldiers ran the Amica Insurance Seattle Marathon across the globe

SEATTLE – While thousands of runners took to the streets today for the Amica Insurance Seattle Marathon, a special group of runners was participating in a "shadow" marathon thousands of miles away in Baghdad as part of the first Amica Insurance Seattle Marathon Shadow Run.

At the request of U.S. soldiers, today's shadow run was held at Camp Victory, a military base in Iraq, to allow soldiers there to "participate" in the Amica Insurance Seattle Marathon being held here. The soldiers were registered as runners for the local marathon and they received everything that the runners in Seattle were given, including finisher medals, goody bags and participant shirts. Their race results also were posted along with other runners on the SMA (Seattle Marathon Association) Web site.

"The race was a huge success," said Mark Piccone, one of the soldiers who organized the shadow run. "Everyone loved it - the packets, the shirts, the medals, awards, everything."

Piccone, a Washington state resident, Apache attack helicopter pilot and avid runner, had planned to run in this year's Amica Insurance Seattle Marathon, but then he was deployed for his second tour in Iraq. He contacted the Seattle Marathon Association and Amica Insurance to propose a shadow run at Camp Victory, which is located near Baghdad International Airport.

More than 300 U.S. service members on the base signed up to participate in the marathon, including the full and half marathons. Joseph Woodley, 26, of Pennsylvania, was the first marathon winner in Baghdad with a time of 3:05:04. The first female runner to complete the marathon was Olga Elliott, 34, of California, with a time of 3:12:40.

The half marathon was won by Laurence McKiernan, 42, of Tennessee. He completed the 13.1-mile course with a time of 1:23:37. The first female to complete the half marathon was Susan Arnold, 44, of California, who came in at 1:38:31.

The Seattle Marathon Association also designed Baghdad Shadow Run shirts as a way for everyone to get involved and show their support for the troops. These shirts celebrate the connection between Seattle runners and Baghdad soldiers. The shirts are selling for $16.50 (plus shipping and handling) and can be purchased online at www.seattlemarathon.org/marathon/baghdad.

Two dollars from the sale of each shirt will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project (www.woundedwarriorproject.org), a nonprofit organization with headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida, that supports programs and services for injured U.S. servicemen and women.