Flag-carrying couple run Battle Creek Half Marathon in the memory of fallen Marine
There were runners on the ground, balloons in the air, and red, white and blue everywhere as the 2022 Battle Creek Half Marathon took center stage at the Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show & Balloon Festival Saturday morning.
Jumping in with both feet to show Fourth of July weekend spirit was a couple from New York, who make an annual trip to participate in the Battle Creek running event.
Army veteran Greg Hacke and his wife Bernice Hacke ran the 5K portion of the Battle Creek Half Marathon carrying a large American flag.
"We're here carrying the flag," said Greg Hacke, from Tarrytown, New York. "Absolutely gorgeous way to spend the Fourth, with all the Army planes, balloons. We have been coming here since the inaugural. It is probably the best run we do world-wide. We do New York City Marathon, Army 10-miler, all the rest, and this is top of the heap."
This year's trip to Battle Creek had a special meaning for the couple; they were running in the memory of Sgt. Dylan Pena, a family friend who died at the age of 22 in May while serving with the Marines in Guatemala.
"We carry the flag in every race we have ever done, no matter what time of the year," Bernice Hacke said. "This time we are carrying it and running in the memory of Sgt. Dylan Pena. He was one of the most amazing kids you would ever meet. Met him years ago, watched him grow up through high school and boot camp and he was just fast, loved to run."
The flat Battle Creek road course started at the brewing facility for Territorial Brewing Company and ran through the grounds of the Field of Flight, where runners could get up close views of the planes and were running under a sky of balloons that had taken off for the scheduled early morning flight.
Winning the Battle Creek Half Marathon was Connor Callahan, who is from Grand Rapids and runs for the Aquinas College track team. Callahan finished first in a time of 1 hour, 14.30 minutes. In his first time competing at the distance, Callahan visited Battle Creek to run with family friend and Lakeview High standout Aiden Moore, who finished fourth overall.
"This was the first half marathon of my life," Callahan said. "It is a great course, a great event. Running by the planes was so cool. I almost fell off my pace looking at the planes. I found myself slowing down, staring at them, before I told myself that I had to speed up."
Jesse Carson of Lansing was second overall at 1:14.45 with Julian Borst of Kalamazoo third at 1:15.07.
The top female runner for the half marathon was Joy Knesnik of Commerce Township, finishing in 1:18.08.
The winner of the 5K was Jack Bidwell, a sophomore at Marshall High School, who finished in 16:33 with Battle Creek's Austin Lee second in 16:48. The top female finisher was Roxanne Jorgensen of Portage in 20:08.
Complete race results can be found at runsignup.com.
Contact Bill Broderick at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter @billbroderick.
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Flag-carrying couple run BC Half Marathon in memory of fallen Marine
