WASHINGTON, D.C. –
As the Olympic trials hopeful Soldier passed the capitol, he steadied his pace, working with a Marine and Airman, sharing water and gels, as they traversed small hills, enjoyed beautiful 50-degree, sunny weather and focused on the who was going to win bragging rights, winning the 49th Marine Corps Marathon and the Armed Forces Championship.
Capt. Kyle Smith, a logistics officer, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado, pushed through injuries to hold his pace as Marine Maj. Kyle King increased his pace at mile 20 to take the lead for the win. Smith, Kyle and Air Force Capt. George Henry Crist finished one minute apart from each other.
With a time of 2:27:03, Smith took third place overall in the MCM and earned bronze in the Men’s Division of the Armed Forces Championship.
Race
“It was a tough battle. I spent a long time in the Hurt Locker,” Smith said. “But I enjoyed the course. It goes all over the city, and the crowd always pumps you up, maybe too much sometimes.”
He said the competition was strong, with nine men in the pack up to the first half.
“Then it started getting gritty, and then things started getting gritty, and people started racing and really made the race,” he said. “Everyone started making moves and attacking. Having one, two and three be in the services, that drove me to get to the finish line.”
This was his first MCM, and he said the Blue Mile, a mile that honors the fallen, was his favorite part of the race.
“It’s an iconic mile to run through and know that these people have sacrificed so much more than we have just running a marathon,” he said.
Smith said he also loves that it’s the People’s Marathon, one of the largest marathons in the world that doesn’t offer cash prizes.
Call to Lead
Smith, the first to serve in the military in his family, said he joined the Army to lead by example and to help develop the leaders of tomorrow.
“I want to help lead and develop Soldiers. Leadership development was instilled in me when I was a young child by my father. I’m very passionate about it,” he said. “As leaders, we have a platform to help and encourage Soldiers on a daily basis and engage with them and problem solve. I want to help Soldiers be better tomorrow than they thought possible today.”
He said everyone in his chain of command has inspired him to become a better leader and a better person.
“It’s going to be tough to be like them one day. It drives me to keep pushing to be better every day,” Smith said.
Smith said his friend and mentor Mike Franco has also been a huge help to him over the years.
“He has really pushed me to reach my highest potential,” he said.
Born to Run
Growing up in Linden, Michigan, Smith said he caught the running bug his junior year of high school. His friend asked him to run on the cross-country team.
“I haven’t stopped since,” he said, smiling.
He broke three high school records and finished All-State three times, twice in track, fourth in indoor and outdoor track in the 3,200-meter, sixth in cross-country. While attending Siena Heights University, he qualified for Nationals five times and earned All-American in the four by eight.
“I picked up the sport pretty quick, we had a good team, and I gained a lot of lifelong friends,” Smith said.
Smith met his wife, Mariah, in college. They take turns pushing their kids, Ryker and Kylah in a stroller while running Smith’s shorter runs.
“We push them in the baby jogger; it’s an extra 150 pounds,” Smith said. “She’s the main reason I’m still able to keep driving toward my dream to make the Olympic Trials. She’s so supportive. When I’m going for a peak training block, I’ll be hitting around 100 or so miles a week. It’s hard to maintain that work-life balance.”
He said the Army isn’t a traditional job for people training for marathons. They could run 100 miles one week or 20 the next because the job requires five days of field training.
“It’s a unique work environment. It doesn’t support an elite running lifestyle. I’m a fulltime Soldier and a fulltime dad,” Smith said. “It’s a tough balance but I do the best I can. It’s worth it.”
Smith won the Charlotte Marathon in North Carolina in 2013, and the Mohawk Hudson River Marathon in 2014. His current PR time is 2:19:52, with a 5:20 pace, at Grandma’s Marathon, Duluth, Minnesota, in June.
He said his goal for as long as he can remember is to qualify for the Olympic Trials.
“It’s becoming a close realization. I’ll keep chasing it until I can’t run anymore,” he said.