Despite a gout flare-up that kept her sidelined all summer, Dillon asked Capt. Ivan Hurlburt, who has nurtured the event, if it would be all right if she came to Afghanistan and ran the marathon with the Bobcats of the Army's 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, deployed out of Schofield Barracks.

With the help of a congressman from Dillon's home state, Hurlburt put a request through the military and the State Department. She found out just last week her request was denied.

Still, she'll be with the Afghanistan marathoners tonight in spirit and, oddly enough, in quote. Turns out, Hurlburt and his fellow runners have adopted one of Dillon's famous quotes on running: "If they're going to beat you, make 'em spit blood!"

After seeing the quote at the end of one of Hurlburt's e-mails to her, Dillon had it inscribed on a banner and sent it, along with cards and letters from her two kids and a hundred lei from her running group, to Afghanistan.

And because she can't run with the Bobcats this year, Dillon is already training so she can do the marathon with them next year.

"This is history," Dillon said. "Those guys are real runners, and of all the marathons they've run in and all the marathons they could have chosen, they chose Honolulu. That's amazing."

Though a little disappointed, Dillon said the weeks she spent preparing for the Afghan marathon were hardly wasted.

"I never would have thought the way I do now about the freedoms we have," she said. "I'm happy to be an American, and happy to be a stay-at-home mom, and happy to be a runner. I'm happy to be a Christian and not have to worry about being shot in the head for it."