Fifty-five runners, sponsored by the beef checkoff’s Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative, took to the streets of Washington, DC, on Oct. 25. Fueled by beef, these runners were among more than 30,000 who participated in the 40th running of the Marine Corps Marathon and 10K. Members of Team Beef received nutrition education on how to incorporate lean beef into their diets during training and wore team running jerseys during the race.
“We are so proud of our MCM Team Beef runners,” says Christie Brown of the Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative. “It was great to be able to bring together so many people from all across the country who understand that lean beef is an invaluable component of their diet regimens for weight management and muscle development.”
Janytzabell Rodriguez-Ramos of New Bedford, Mass., was the fastest female finisher on Team Beef with a time of 3:24:53. After the race she said, “I joined Team Beef because I know it's important to have nutrients like beef in one's diet to be able to train hard to reach your goals, especially endurance running goals. The nutrients, such as, protein, iron, zinc, and B12, help decrease any iron deficiency that can occur during training. Also, they help build the strength to run 26.2 miles and achieve a new personal best.
“One of my favorite parts of the course (in addition to the views) was having the servicemen, volunteers, and supporters along the course. Hearing the shout outs from Team Beef and other supporters during the race, helped me to continue running strong even when the miles were racking up.”
The fastest overall finisher for Team Beef was Sam Brandt of Wilmington, N.C., who finished with a time of 2:55:25. After the race Sam said, “Being a part of Team Beef for the Marine Corps Marathon was an honor for me. Team Beef is something I believe in and I am proud to represent the important role beef serves in the everyday diet. For me eating beef three to four times a week has been a huge factor in my performance. This year I was able to gain more muscle by making lean beef a bigger part of my diet. This in return let me achieve my best performance ever in running my fifth marathon. It’s rather simple to incorporate beef in my everyday diet by cooking stir-fry, salads and omelets. So without beef I would not have the muscle strength to achieve excellences in my endurance sports.”
Both Rodriguez-Ramos and Brandt qualified for the Boston Marathon and will be running as members of Team Beef again in April 2016.
In addition to cheering on Team Beef members between miles 17 and 18 with “I Heart Beef” t-shirts and cow bells, the beef checkoff participated in the First Timers Rally and the Kids Fun Run with Mile Posts blogger and runner, Dorothy Beal earlier in the weekend. Additionally, Schmacon was introduced for the first time in Washington D.C at the MCM bRUNch. Radio and digital advertising surrounding the beef checkoff presence at the Marine Corps Marathon was made possible by the South Dakota Beef Industry Council and the Kentucky Beef Council.
To listen in on the conversations from Team BEEF members and to catch photos of the weekend activities surrounding Marine Corps Marathon, follow @NortheastBeef on Twitter and search #BeefFuelsMCM to follow the conversation.
For more about the beef checkoff, please visit the NEBPI website or MyBeefCheckoff.com, and follow them on Twitter @NortheastBeef.
UNDERSTANDING THE BEEF CHECKOFF PROGRAM
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.
Source: The Beef Checkoff Program