New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon draws contingent of Keesler medics Published Feb. 24, 2011 By Steve Pivnick 81st Medical Group Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- At least eight 81st Medical Group Dragon Medics participated in the Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon and Half Marathon in New Orleans Feb. 13. Yekaterina Karpitskaya, 81st Surgical Operations Squadron, ran the full marathon with a time of 3:53. She was 757 out of 3,140 overall, 202 out of 1,437 female runners and 38 of 285 in the female ages 30-34 division. Running in the half marathon were Kory Cornum (2:52), 81st MDG commander, participating in his first half marathon; Jade Foster (time not available) and Linda Sarpy (1:54:02), 81st MSGS; and Nelson Viniegra (2:17:27 ), Colleen Kersgard (2:07:37) and Zsuzsanna Krokovay (2:02:07), 81st Medical Operations Squadron. Maria Robles, 81st MDOS, ran the two-man relay with her husband Lupe. She finished 8.6 miles (1:42) and Lupe ran 4.6 miles (1:9). "The Mardi Gras Rock 'n' Roll Marathon was awesome!" said Sarpy, who finished 1,662 out of 10,272 half-marathoners. "The weather was extremely cooperative for the 16,000 marathon and half-marathon runners. The race began at the downtown Morial Convention Center, weaved through Mid-Town, Uptown, the Garden District, the French Quarter and ended at Tad Gormley Stadium at City Park. All runners began the race together and eventually separated at or around the 6-mile marker. Both races ended in City Park for a great after-race celebration."