I am extremely proud and honored that members of the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team will take part in their own Bicentennial Edition of the Capital City Half Marathon in northern Afghanistan in 2012.

The Afghanistan "Shadow" of the Capital City Half Marathon will begin and end on the grounds of Camp Mike Spann, a U.S. Army base named after the first American killed in combat in the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

The Camp Spann soldiers are members of the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team comprised of four battalions from Ohio and two from Michigan. Washington National Guard members have also joined the brigade for this deployment.

The soldiers will put in the 13.1 miles on race day just like all of you when they participate in a "shadow run" that will have the soldiers run Cap City at the same time as the 13,000 runners and walkers in Columbus.

Several friends and family of soldiers taking part in the shadow run will participate in Cap City in Columbus. "Participating in a shadow run also allows family members and friends to run or walk in the same race back home, and in a sense provide a way of doing something together," Maj. Flowers said.

The brigade's mission is to conduct security force assistance in northern Afghanistan to build the capacity and capability of the Afghan National Police. "Anyone who has already completed a distance race before knows that running is a social event and a great way to bring people together," said Maj. Don Flowers, a signal officer with the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. "Hosting our own Capital City Half Marathon creates a sense of occasion that helps break up the time that we are here. But one of the primary reasons to host a shadow run at Camp Spann is that running is a great stress reliever that anyone can do."

The Capital City Half Marathon will provide race bibs, shirts and medals to all shadow run participants. We look forward to celebrating them at the finish line with their families and friends and then we look forward to celebrating each and every one of them in person at the finish line of our 10th anniversary event in 2013.

Registration has been on an incredible pace (like over 90% up) for the Bicentennial Edition of the The Capital City Half Marathon, Patrón Quarter Marathon and Commit to Be Fit 5k. This edition comes around once every 200 years, so make sure you don't get closed out.

If you are already registered, thank you, and lets us know how your training is going. Make sure you like the Cap City Facebook page to stay in touch with the latest news from the event, interact with the other participants and read what is going on in the running and walking community. You do your part and put in the training and we will do ours and prepare the ultimate celebration of the active healthy lifestyle.

You may confirm your registration here.

If you have not yet registered, DO NOT WAIT. The momentum has been tremendous and we want you to be part of the block party and Byers Xtra Mile Finish line party. This is not the event to sit back and wait until the last minute. You will get closed out. Register now!

Registration for the event is on pace for the earliest sell out ever!

This past week Meghan Feran from the American Cancer Society and I had the pleasure of joining Katie, Monica, Greg and a room full of their coworkers at The Limited to "Rally" folks to join Team Limited and make their Cap City Miles more meaningful.

WOW! What a reception. They have raised almost $2,000 and the fun has not even started yet.

Team Limited is going the extra mile (well, actually many, many miles) - and they are doing it to help save lives. They have joined the American Cancer Society DetermiNation endurance event program, and are dedicating their training and race participation to help the American Cancer fight cancer and save lives.

To raise additional funds and awareness Team Limited is going to have a happy hour in the coming weeks. I will be a guest bartender and serve what (I think) are my "world famous Patron Pomegranate Margaritas", with all proceeds going to Team Limited.

This is The Limited's way of fighting back against a disease that has taken too much. Please support their team by making a donation on their website. Or if you're up for the challenge, join their team and commit to train and fundraise along with them. Together, we can all help create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

For more information, visit The ACS Cap City page.

If YOU can Run or Walk, YOU can Run or Walk Farther.

If YOU can Train, YOU can Train Harder.

And if YOU do, YOU will FIGHT Cancer and YOU will be a Champion to so many on May 5th.

Marathon Petroleum is the Official Fuel of Cap City. With Gas prices going up, Marathon wants to help pay for your fuel to get you to Cap City.

On a February 9th post on our Facebook page we launched our first contest to give away Marathon gift cards.

For the month of February we are looking for the registered participant who is driving from the farthest location from our start line at the corner of Broad Street and Civic Center Drive on The Scioto Mile.

That participant will win a $100 gas card from Marathon. Think you can win it, go to the February 9th post and let us know about it. We will award the card on on Thursday March 1st.

In the lead right now is Christine Guenther who is driving the over 500 miles (9 hours) from Philadelphia, PA to join her mother Joyce Guenther at the start line.

Over the next few months, Marathon is going to be giving away gas cards to help get you to the starting line. Stay tuned on Facebook and to our Newsletters and join in, you may just be the next winner.

Need directions? Check out the Marathon Trip Planner on our travel page.

We are extremely excited to announce that New Balance has become the Official Footwear and Apparel Partner of the Capital City Half Marathon. Every participant will receive a gender specific Bicentennial Edition Participant Shirt.

To kick off the relationship, New Balance has created an "in training shirt" for sale here with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society.

In addition to supplying the participant shirts, New Balance will also provide the super cool half zips for the Diamond Cellar VIP Experience Upgrades (limited to the first 400) as well as age group awards.

Facebook and Twitter have become an important part of the M3S events, especially Cap City. Cap City has become its own community and we want you to be part of it. Check out all of the photos, contests and updates and make sure you add your own.

If you have not yet, make sure you like the Cap City Facebook page to stay in touch with what is going on in the running and walking community.

What a great year 2012 will be in Columbus. In the words of Mayor Coleman, "there are so many reasons to feel pride in our community, and clearly 200Columbus The Bicentennial is off to a great start."

"Some came many generations ago, and some of us only years ago, but we are all a part of this great city's progress. This spring, we will see many reasons to celebrate all the things we love about Columbus during a new festival season."

All of us at The Capital City Half Marathon look forward to creating the ultimate CELEBRATION of the active healthy lifestyle and of Columbus neighborhoods on May 5th. Come join us!

Giddy up,

David Babner, Race Director