Staff Sgt. Merissa Pough maintains a steady pace as she runs in the Air Force Deployed Location 10k, Half and Full Marathons at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, Sept. 17, 2011. She is deployed to the 376th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Escort Flight from Keelser Air Force Base, Miss. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brianne Smith)

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Capt. Ross Dotzlaf maintains a steady pace as he runs in the Air Force Deployed Location Marathon at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, Sept. 17, 2011. Dotzlaf was the first runner to complete the race with a time of 2:58:30. He is deployed to the 376th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron as the program flight commander from Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brianne Smith)

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Tech. Sgt. Rebecca Stadler sings the National Anthem before the start of the Air Force Deployed Location 10k, Half, and Full Marathons at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, Sept. 17, 2011. Stadler is assigned to the 376th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron as the NCO in charge of the fitness center. She is deployed here from the Air National Guard's 179th Airlift Wing in Mansfield, Ohio. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brianne Smith)

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Master Sgt. Danielle Hirvela keeps pushing forward as she runs in the Air Force Deployed Location Half Marathon at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, Sept. 17, 2011. Hirvela finished second in her age category. She is assigned to the 376th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron as the community service flight chief. She is deployed here from F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brianne Smith)

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Capt. Stephen Martin gives the thumbs-up as he runs the Air Force Deployed Location Half Marathon at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, Sept. 17, 2011. He is deployed to the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Theater Security Cooperation as the Humanitarian Assistance Program medical director from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brianne Smith)

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Air Force birthday decorations covered the start and finish lines for the Air Force Deployed Location Marathons at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, Sept. 17, 2011. More than 130 Airmen, Soldiers, Marines, Croatian soldiers and Kyrgyz nationals ran in the Transit Center’s Air Force Deployed Location 10k, Half and Full Marathons. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brianne Smith)

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Photo essay: On your mark, get set, go!

Published Sept. 20, 2011