Airman sprints past record

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Barbara Plante
  • 944th Fighter Wing, Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  By shaving 14 seconds off the current record for the 1.5 mile run, Staff Sgt. Christian Enriquez, 944th Fighter Wing Detachment 1 Maintenance, F-16 avionics craftsman, ran into the Luke Air Force Base history books Sunday.

Running 1.5 miles in 8 minutes 10 second, secured his success of beating the current record of 8 minutes 24 seconds, which was set at Luke on June 25, 2014.

As an avid runner who averages 18 to 20 miles per day Enriquez said he was tired and hungry but felt great about breaking the record.

"Running is something I love; part of running for me is being the best at something and doing the best that I can."  With a smile he added, "I will be one of those 70 or 80-year-olds still out there running."

Initially from Chicago Illinois, Enriquez began running 13 years ago as a freshman in high school and said it has always been something that he is good at.

In 2008, after spending his entire life in Chicago, he joined the Air Force to travel and see the world. He spent most of his active duty career in maintenance at Luke AFB but left the Air Force to go to school full time.  He made the decision to continue his military career with the 944th FW in 2015.  As a full-time student at Arizona State University he is currently studying Kinesiology the scientific study of human movement with a goal to become a physician's assistant.

"Training to break the record was just part of my regular workout, I run two to three hours a day because one of my goals is to participate in the 'Javelina 100,' which is 100 mile race through the desert, set for October 2016." 

His personal goal is to run that race in 24 hours or less. Having run one marathon and five half marathons he believes anyone is capable of running.   "You just have to do it, you have to get out the front door, I know that that's the hard part but by just going out three to five times a week and spending 30 minutes, you can meet your goal."

"Staff Sgt. Enriquez has great moral character and is very regimented with everything he does in his life, between balancing being a full-time student and his commitment to the Air Force Reserve.  Between his strict physical training routines and his constant desire to be better at everything he does, he makes everyone around him want to be better Airmen," said Tech. Sgt. John Sullivan, Air Force Reserve recruiter. 

"These are unquestionably the types of individuals that we are always looking for to bring into the AF Reserve.  As a recruiter it is a tremendous feeling to see the name of someone you helped access into the Air Force Reserve doing great things and I am very excited that he is a member of the 944 FW"