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From left to right, 1st Lt. Charlotte M. Brock, Maj. Richard D. Thompson and Maj. William C. Maples, run at Camp Taqaddum, Iraq, shortly after dawn on July 13, 2004. Maples is running 135 miles, mostly nonstop, timed to coincide with the Badwater ultramarathon spanning from Death Valley to Mount Whitney in California. Since the 40-year-old Dallas native is currently deployed to Iraq as the 1st Force Service Support Group's force protection officer, the six-time Badwater veteran couldn't actually participate in this year's race. Several 1st FSSG Marines are taking turns joining Maples for portions of his run. Brock, 24, is a communications officer with the 1st FSSG and a native of Washington, D.C. Thompson, a 36-year-old native of Peach Tree City, Ga., is the operations officer for 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, which provides security for the camp. (Photo by Sgt. Matt Epright)

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From left to right, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Devera D. Williams, Maj. William C. Maples, Lance Cpl. John C. LaRoche and 1st Lt. Charlotte M. Brock, resume their run, which was interrupted by a mortar attack on Camp Taqaddum, Iraq, on July 13, 2004. Maples is running 135 miles, mostly nonstop, timed to coincide with the Badwater ultramarathon spanning from Death Valley to Mount Whitney in California. Just before Maples reached the 60-mile marker, he was required, for his safety and the safety of his volunteer support crew, to stop the clock and take a short break until the danger had passed. "We just subtract this from the time. There's nothing else we can do," he said. Since the 40-year-old Dallas native is currently deployed to Iraq as the 1st Force Service Support Group's force protection officer, the six-time Badwater veteran couldn't actually participate in this year's race. Williams, 38, is the 1st FSSG's personnel officer and a resident of Rainbow, Calif.; LaRoche, a personnel clerk, is a 20-year-old Los Angeles native; Brock is a communications officer and 24-year-old native of Washington, D.C. All three are part of the group of fellow Marines joining Maples for portions of the run. (Photo by Sgt. Matt Epright)

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Maj. William C. Maples nears the 60-mile point after running for more than 12 hours at Camp Taqaddum, Iraq, on July 13, 2004. Maples is running 135 miles, mostly nonstop, timed to coincide with the Badwater ultramarathon spanning from Death Valley to Mount Whitney in California. Since the 40-year-old Dallas native is currently deployed to Iraq as the 1st Force Service Support Group's force protection officer, the six-time Badwater veteran couldn't actually participate in this year's race. (Photo by Sgt. Matt Epright)