1st Lt. Charles "Chad" Ware of the 807th Medical Deployment Support Command's 452nd Combat Support Hospital won this year’s Marine Corps Marathon Oct. 30 with a time of 2 hours, 19 minutes, and 16 seconds.Ware’s time was the best finish in the Marine Corps Marathon in 15 years, and just missed the cutoff for qualifying for the Olympic trials in January by 16 seconds."I knew I had a good chance to win bout half way through," said Ware, who broke away with the lead runners early.The lead group of five or six runners started to dwindle at about mile 12. At mile 18, it was only Ware and one other runner."When we hit about mile 19, I didn’t hear footsteps behind me anymore," he said. "I was still feeling pretty good."This finish beat Ware’s previous best marathon time of 2:20:47. However, his goal was not to beat the 2:19:00 needed to qualify for the Olympic trials, but just to have the best place finish."I had been in good enough shape to make the two hours, nineteen minutes before, but my body could not handle the stress on the day of the race," he said.Ware, who also ran as a member of the All Army Team in the Army Ten-Miler Oct. 9, runs approximately 130 miles a week."The number one key [to running] is to run a lot of miles and to remain healthy," said Ware.Asked why he enjoys running, Ware cited his natural ability to do it well. He also enjoys the time alone while running to process his thoughts and even prays while running.The Army is a family affair for the Wares. Chad’s father is the commander of the 452nd, and his brother and sister both earned commissions through the ROTC program.Ware originally thought he would follow in his father’s footsteps and become a doctor, but felt a calling through his faith to become an Army chaplain instead.He received an educational delay after graduating from Butler University with a degree in chemistry. He has since completed his graduate studies at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Ill., and attended the Chaplain’s school this past summer.Ware is currently a chaplain candidate in the 452nd, but is pursuing a slightly different career since the Chaplain Corps has put more emphasis on experience.In January, he will leave for Fort Huachuca, Ariz., for the Military Intelligence Officer Basic Course.Making yourself a better runner is simple math for Ware, who coaches the Trinity International cross country team."The key is increasing your mileage and consistency," Ware said.He suggests mixing up a training routine with speed runs, interval runs, and tempo runs. Increasing one’s mileage does not mean running as much as he does. Just half an hour of running a day will significantly help most people improve on the physical fitness test. He also notes that each person is different, but the overall mileage and consistency remain the keys to success. Planning running time in one’s day is necessary.While it has been a long term goal to beat the 2:19:00 mark for Olympic trial qualification, Ware believes he has missed the mark this time. Although there is another marathon he could qualify on in December, the stress on his body would probably be too much."My marathons are about four to five months apart," said Ware.(Editor’s note: This story is based on an article by Lt. Col. Matthew Lawrence, public affairs officer, 807th Medical Deployment Support Command, U.S Army Reserve.)