For advanced runners, the average finish times are three hours for marathons and 47 minutes for 10Ks.
When he’s not empowering our residents at Gabriel Homes, program coordinator Daniel Borges is at the gym or running,
Daniel ran in the Quantico 12K in August to prepare for the Marine Corps Marathon coming this October. When he crossed the finish line, his final time was 56 minutes and 9 seconds.
“I run at least seven kilometers a day during the week and around 22 on weekends. Running is like therapy to me. Trainings push me to get out of the home and achieve something bigger than myself.”
After months of training on sidewalks and road shoulders, Daniel stepped into a new challenge at the Marine Corps 12K in Quantico.
The path consisted of gravel and dirt, which felt strange under his feet. At one point during the run, Daniel felt a tiny twist in his ankle when he stepped on a rock. Thankfully, he was back to his usual running form after his short slowdown.
With the finish line in sight, Daniel spotted his #1 supporter. Rich (left), a resident at Gabriel Homes, waved at and cheered for Daniel during the race’s final stretch. Daniel said Rich was the push he needed to finish after over 50 minutes of grueling running.
Rich always asked about Daniel’s training progress and was excited to see him at the 12K.
Because he had family who served in the military, Rich was in awe of being at the base. His face lit up when they arrived, and he felt proud to be there for someone he cared about.
“I had such a nice time seeing Daniel run — I yelled as loud as I could when I saw him! Being at Quantico for the 12K and meeting all the Marines made me feel like a proud citizen.”
After the race, Daniel and Rich drove around the base and saw some of the barracks.
Rich ecstatically pointed at everything he saw. The guys finished their morning at Quantico by eating an early lunch on the base.
“Rich came to the 12K to support me first and foremost, and his care for others shows what a loving person he is,” Daniel said. “I knew I couldn’t let him down when I raced, so he was my motivation to keep training and finish in stride.”