WASHINGTON, D.C. –
As an elite pack of runners, an Airman, Soldier and Marine, ran toward the Capitol, while keeping pace, sharing gels and water, enjoying beautiful 50-degree weather, and secretly deciding who was going to breakaway to win bragging rights to win the Armed Forces Championship and 49th Marine Corps Marathon.
With a time of 2:26:20, Air Force Capt. George Henry Crist, an airfield operations officer from Travis Air Force Base, California, took second overall in the 49th MCM and earned silver in the Armed Forces Men’s Division. Marine Maj. Kyle King won with a time of 2:25:06, and Army Capt. Kyle Smith took third with a time of 2:27:03.
Running MCM
This was Crist’s first time running Marine Corps Marathon. He said he enjoyed running in the pack, taking turns leading, sharing water and gels.
“We worked together instead of fighting people the whole way,” Crist said.
Crist said he knew he would run around a 2:25 race, so he expected to be in the top five based on last year’s results.
“We had a breakaway pack around mile 17,” he said. “Kyle made a big move right about mile 20, and I just didn’t have another gear to stay with him. I’m happy with earning second.”
He said the finish line is sneaky, finishing on a hill. His dad, who lives in Georgia, came in to congratulate him.
“He doesn’t see me race very often,” Crist said. “It’s always nice when he does.”
Crist said his favorite part of the race was the crowd support.
“I loved having the million and a half Marines out there on the course. It was really cool getting that support,” Crist said. “It was tough running on the National Mall with an Army guy on your left, a Marine on your right, a Navy guy in front of you and having people yelling and screaming. It gave me chills. I had to remember to keep my pace. It’s a more collaborative effort than competitive.”
He said because he was wearing an Air Force jersey, people would yell, “Go Air Force!”
“It’s tough to keep that under control because you’re getting fired up and want to move. Stay with your pace. You don’t want to get too excited,” he said.
Crist didn’t know about the Blue Mile, the mile of remembrance for the fallen until the pack started running through mile 12.
“There’s always a little bit of chatter. Everyone in the pack was a member of the Armed Forces so it was like a pin drop,” he said. “Nobody’s making jokes, moving around. It was this silent mile of everyone working hard. It’s definitely a different feel.”
Joining the Air Force
Crist grew up in Connecticut near the U.S. Military Academy. He jokes that West Point was close to home, and Colorado has better snowboarding, so he went to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
“I wanted to do a job where you felt like you were making a difference, and you were part of a team,” Crist said. “I like seeing the impact we have. At first, part of it was free college but then I see the real-world difference the Air Force makes every day, that’s why I stay in.”
He said the Air Force also provided him the greatest opportunity in variety of jobs that could translate over into the civilian sector once he retires.
“As long as the Air Force having me, I’m staying in for 20,” he said.
Crist is an airfield operations officer who works with a team that provides flying operations a safe, effective and reliable airfield, he said.
Last year, he deployed to Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, where he learned to work with coalition airfield operations and their aircraft needs for the first time.
“It was interesting. With the airfield, it’s mitigating operations so everyone’s needs are met so we can keep the mission going,” Crist said. “It’s stressful but rewarding. We’d fly a mission and solve problems and then two days later, we’re seeing it on the news. It’s great seeing the wider impact of why we do what we do.”
Love of sports
Crist played basketball in middle school and ran at North Street and Central Middle schools in Greenwich, Connecticut. In ninth grade, at Fairfield Prep, he had a 8:52.9 personal record in the 2,500-meter. His cross-country team won all conference in 2014 and 2015.
When he got to the Academy, he ran with the club team and snowboarded. He’s run around 12 marathons. He ran a 2:19:49 at Grandma’s Marathon, Duluth, Minnesota, in 2022. He ran 2:37:06 at the Boston Marathon in 2018 and 2:33:02 in 2019.
When he ran Boston in 2018, only his second marathon at the time, he was only one of two 20-year-olds to finish in the top 100. That year, it was cold and rainy.
“I grew up in New England where the weather makes you tough,” he said with a smile. “I like it when it’s oppressively hot or it’s pouring rain and cold. I can push through that. If we can have that kind of weather, I’m golden.”
Crist said he enjoys snowboarding, hiking, backpacking and enjoying other sports, but he always goes back to running.
“It’s always been a constant in my life,” he said. “It’s how I relieve stress. It’s how I clear my mind. I love to compete, to go out and race people.”
But he said if he misses some runs to go backpacking in the dessert, he’s cool with that.
“I like being outside and moving in endurance sports,” Crist said. “Running is going to be a constant, always, but I’m going to go through phases of snowboarding, swimming, biking, but running is always going to be there.”
Crist recommends running or just enjoying any kind of sports.
“Find something active you like to do, because it’s going to make you physically fit,” he said. “You’ll live longer, which is awesome. It makes you better at the other things you do. Sports teach you resiliency and strength. You’ll be able to do things you didn’t think you could do.”
He also suggested team sports.
“It’s collaborative, and you’ll make the best friends you’re ever going to make,” Crist said.