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Ethan Rogers crossed the finish line near the back of the pack, his combat boots, armor vest and American flag shorts helping him stick out in a crowd of hundreds who ran Monday's 49th Chattanooga Chase.
His one-hour finish time didn't turn any heads, but the 19-year-old certainly made a statement on a festive morning for the local running community.
"It's Memorial Day weekend," he said. "Why not?"
As a Marine, he's used to running in gear, Rogers said.
Most of the rest of the 500 participants in the historic 8K race and 1-mile run donned tennis shoes, but several others chose patriotic apparel for their 4.8-mile frolic through the residential hills near Riverview Park and the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club.
Winner Seth Ruhling, who finished in 27:29, sported American flag shorts for the race, which was directed with an emphasis on the Chattanooga Chase's place as a legacy race that peaked with 700-800 runners in the 1980s.
"It kind of brings the running community together in a grassroots way," said Ruhling, 21, who also won the 1-mile race. "Chattanooga has a great athletic community, but races like these bring everybody together and gets back to the essence of road running. Camaraderie and laying it out there, having fun."
Race director Alan Outlaw, the owner of Fast Break Athletics, recruited Rhuling to the race and led the Chase to its highest participation level in years after more than 200 runners participated last year.
"I've lived here my whole life and had never done it," Meghan Whitley said. "But I have family who live over here, so I got to run by their house. It was nice to see my kids."
"There were a ton of people out in their yards cheering us on, so that was awesome to see," added Clarissa Ragsdale. "There are a lot of locals here who know each other. It was a great incentive to have a healthier Memorial Day."
Contact staff writer David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.