SAN ANTONIO, Texas –
Staying in a pack until the last mile, the Air Force elite athletes swept the podium and the team win in the men’s 10K division during the 2025 Armed Forces Cross Country Championship at the Windcrest Golf Club here Jan. 25.
They earned the chance to run on the U.S. Armed Forces Cross Country team competing in the 10K race in the International Military Sports Council (CISM) Military World Winter Games in Lucerne, Switzerland, March 23-30.
Airman 1st Class Dan Michalski, Department of the Air Force World Class Athlete Program steeplechase specialist, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, earned gold with a time of 29:31:8 and a pace of 4:38.
“We had a game plan to work together through the first laps and see how the race goes,” he said. “That was my focus and plan. I realized I’d be able to win as long as I was able to stay under control, continue to pick my lines well, be smart about my footing on the tighter turns and the few spots where something could hang you up if you’re not paying attention. The team came away with the win which was our primary goal.”
He said he loved seeing Air Force take first, second and third place.
“It’s hard to know where everybody’s at with their fitness. All these guys, they’re in pilot training or have crazy schedules. It’s hard to train, and there’s a whole lot of talent across the service branches out here,” he said. “This was a great course with great conditions. I’m just grateful and happy to be out here. This is a great event to bring the services together for spirit de corps.”
Michalski said a unique part of running on a golf course was that he could hear the clacks of his teammate’s spikes hitting the pavement and the ground behind him.
“With about a mile to go, as I was pressing the downhill and into the technical curves of the course, I could count the steps after I cross the cart paths,” he said. “You don’t have to look over your shoulder. You can hear when the next person clacks their spikes into it.
We realized we were getting eight steps on the guy in third, and then I realized I had eight steps on Johnson. I was encouraged by that. I focused on my rhythm and bringing it home.”
By the 4K mark, Michalski took the lead with a time of 12:10:2, with 2nd Lt. Ryan Johnson, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, right behind him at 12:10:3. A group of Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen joined them in a pack and jockeyed for the top three spots.
By the 6K mark, 1st Lt. Ryan Ioanidis, 93rd Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Spokane, Washington, moved up to fourth place. Army Spc. Geoffrey Kipchumba held the second seed spot during the 6K lap, Michalski still held the lead, and Johnson was in third.
With one lap to go, Johnson took lead, Michalski slid into second, Ioanidis moved to third and Kipchumba to fourth, but Michalski pushed through for the win.
Born to run
Michalski, an aircraft hydraulics systems apprentice, joined the Air Force in 2023 to pursue his athletic dreams while making the most of his military career. His paternal great grandfather fought for Poland. The grandfather of his wife, Abby, earned a Purple Heart while flying the P-51 on secret missions for the Army Air Corps during World War II.
His love for cross-country began his junior year of high school, and he added track his senior year at Xenia High School in Ohio. He went All-State in 2014 in the 1600m. While earning his bachelor’s degree in exercise science at Cedarville University in Ohio in 2018, he became a four-time NCAA Division 1 cross-country athlete and two time All-American. In 2017, he became a national champion in the 3000m steeplechase.
At Indiana University, he became a two-time NCAA Division All-American. He’s made five USATF national championship appearances and been a finalist four times. He finished fourth at the 2021 Olympic Trials in the Steeplechase. As an Airman Athlete, one of his career highlights came in late 2023 when he took silver in the Steeplechase at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. More recently, he qualified for the Steeplechase finals at the 2024 Olympic Trials.
“I run because I love it,” he said. “I want to find out how good I can really become.”
His weekly running is around a 6 to 7-minute pace.
“I couldn’t put in all the time I need to accommodate my Air Force work schedule demands and running without the patience of my lovely wife and the support of my leadership at the Air Force Services Center,” he said.
Road to Olympics
The Airman said he’s excited to compete at CISM and hopes to make the Olympics.
“I’m unfamiliar with the level of competition at the CISM but am assured that we’re bringing a strong and cohesive team that will be ready to compete at our best,” he said. “I want to represent Team USA at the LA 2028 Olympics and other international championships.”
Advantages of running
Michalski encourages people to check out the Stava app to track their training and give running a try.
“Use the app and discover the most popular places to the run,” he said. “Check out local running shoe stores, gyms and breweries that have weekly run clubs for a wide range of experience levels. Chances are you can make a friend going your pace who can get you connected and give you advice.”
While running can be an individual sport, working together as a team can be a psychological advantage in competitions that can translate over into the military.
“Whether or not we’re grouped in a pack or employing drafting, I feel more relaxed and confident, knowing my teammates are out there giving their best and trust that it will result in a strong team performance,” he said. “When you assemble people with an excellent level of training and trial-tested experience, whether on a sports team or in your career field, you can count on them to get the job done right.”
When Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines compete in Armed Forces competitions, they compete side-by-side on teams consisting of enlisted, officers, Reserve, Guard and active duty.
“It’s a great opportunity to unify our force, building understanding and appreciation across the enlisted/officer gap and career fields that would never overlap in the operational world,” Michalski said. “I came away from this weekend with Airmen I’ll consider teammates for life. Sharing this team competitive experience encouraged me to keep pursuing excellence in my athletic and Air Force career goals.”