Armed Forces Half Marathon & 75th Anniversary
During the early morning hours of Saturday, May 27, 2017, some 1000 runners assembled in Todos Santos Plaza for the first annual Armed Forces Half Marathon at Todos Santos Plaza. Your Concord Historical Society was honored to staff a booth in the plaza expanding the race planner’s intent to honor the US Armed Forces by sharing local military history.
US Naval Magazine Port Chicago was established on June 27, 1942. Later it was known as Naval Weapons Station Concord. This legacy continues to this day through Military Ocean Terminal Concord (MOTCO) and the US Army’s 834th Transportation Battalion. That’s 75 years of service to our nation here at Concord. Together with two active reservists from MOTCO, our staff of volunteers presented this history and shared information about Society activities.
The half-marathoners’ 13.1-mile course went out Willow Pass Road, wound its way around the former weapons station’s Inland Area, and returned via Willow Pass Road. The overall winning time was 1:11:28! From all accounts it was a success.
The Concord Historical Society extends compliments to the organizer, Team Blue Sky Events. Last but not least, heart-felt thanks to the men and women of the US Armed Force, active and retired.
