Photo: Robert Cheseret (left) and John Mickowski finished blasted the course in the St. Patty' Day Run earlier this year. They hit the finish line in a dead heat, each recording a time of 15:00.09.

Fort Carson's soldier Robert Cheseret could have taken a break - enjoyed his new title as the National 5K Road champion.
But while he is an elite runner with big goals. He's a soldier first. His loyalty is to the U.S. Army. On Sunday morning, Cheseret will line up against 30,000 other runners in the Army 10-Miler in Washington D.C.
"I want to run this race for teh Army, I was to run it for my (Army) team," said Cheseret, the Kenyan born brother of elite distance start Bernard Lagat.
He could win it. But it will take a blazing time.
"It'll probably take something in the low 47s (47 minutes)," Cheseret said. "I think that is possible."
Cheseret had a brilliant career as a runner at the University of Arizona, but had disappeared the last few years. Then he enlisted and was accepted into the Army's World Class Athlete Program. He is coached by Gary Staines, former Olympian (Great Britain, 5,000 meters, 1988).
Staines also coaches John Mickowski, who trains in the World Class Athlete Program. Staines said Mickowski could run in the 47-minute frame as well.
Cheseret won the National 5K Championship last month in Providence, R.I., passing five runners in the last 200 meters to finish in 14:01.
But he returned to Colorado Springs and continued to train hard preparing for 10 fast miles. A week after his 5K championship run, he and Mickowski did a a workout of six one-mile repeats. All of them under 4:55. Their last mile was 4:36, Staines said.
"They're both in good shape," Staines said. "What I want this weekend is for them to perform well for the Army. Then we'll begin training for the National Cross Country Championships (Feb. 5, San Diego)."