Scott Airman top woman in Air Force Marathon Published Sept. 28, 2006 By 2nd Lt. Karoline Scott 375th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Scott Air Force Base, Il. -- Endurance, strength, commitment, a great attitude and a drive toward success. All of these are qualities possessed by Senior Airman Rendi Everhart, one of Team Scott's own who recently became the military's fastest female marathon runner. Finishing the grueling, 26.2 mile road race in 3 hours, 26 minutes and 39 seconds, Everhart, a lab technician with the 375th Dental Squadron, won the title of First Place Overall Military Female at the Air Force Marathon Sept. 16 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. "I didn't expect to win anything," said Everhart. "I went there to do my best and was hoping to qualify for the Boston Marathon. To achieve that, I knew I had to come in under 3 hours and 40 minutes." Everhart far exceeded even her own expectations and accomplished something she never imagined a few years ago. "I didn't run at all before I joined the Air Force," Everhart said. "When I moved to Scott about a year and a half ago, another person from 375th DS, Tech. Sgt. Melanie Key, told me she was a marathon runner. She inspired me and I thought to myself, 'I can do that, too.'" Since then, Everhart has set out to become a serious athlete. "I ran my first marathon around this time last year in Springfield," she said. "I finished in 3 hours and 52 minutes. I came in second for my age group." To prepare for these marathons, Everhart runs for hours on end. "When gearing up for a marathon, I run between 40 and 50 miles a week," she said. "I wake up at 4:30 a.m. and usually run about six miles before work. Then, I go out again between 4 and 10 p.m." Everhart does this five days a week; she takes time off on Thursdays and Sundays. In addition to running, Everhart maintains a healthy diet consisting of a lot of fruit, vegetables and whole grains. "Eating healthy is an important part of my training," she said. "I completely avoid foods like white bread, which really aren't good for my body." Though much of her training is done solo, Everhart does have support from her co-workers, friends and family to keep her going. "The 375th DS has been really supportive and allowed me to excel as a runner," she said. "I have to thank everyone I work with for giving me so much encouragement." Everhart mentioned one co-worker in particular who has helped her along the way. "Staff Sgt. Jamie Wipf is my supervisor at work and also trained for the marathon with me," Everhart said. "Sergeant Wipf has been a great motivator. She actually went to Ohio and ran the marathon, too." Wipf, who finished the marathon in an impressive 4 hours and 12 minutes, not only accomplished a personal goal by completing the marathon, but was thrilled to see her co-worker and friend do so well. "I am so proud of her (Everhart)," said Wipf. "I knew she'd do well, but I couldn't be happier that she beat out all the other military females. She's trained really hard and deserves the recognition she's receiving." Family was another driving force for Everhart's success. "I have custody of my 14-year-old sister, Alexandria," she said. "I work hard to inspire her to do great things. I know she is proud of me and I hope my accomplishments give her something to strive toward." Everhart's other sister, 20-year-old Sophia, actually attended the marathon to cheer her on. "It meant a lot to me to have my sister there," said Everhart. With the Air Force Marathon now behind her, Everhart shows no signs of slowing down. "On average," she said, "I run one or two races a month." Everhart's next big race is in December, a 50-kilometer race in Houston. In the spring, she'll run in the race that she worked so hard for, the Boston Marathon. Coincidentally, the date of the race, April 16, is also Everhart's 24th birthday. "I love running and look forward to continuing to set and achieve new goals," she said. "I will keep running marathons for as long as my body will allow it."