Army Ten-Miler: JTF holds try outs for DC race

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Carmen Fleischmann | Soldiers throughout Joint Task Force Guantanamo competed for a spot on Army South’s 10-miler team for this year’s race in Washington, D.C.  

GUANTANAMO BAY , CUBA

07.18.2014

Courtesy Story

Joint Task Force Guantanamo Public Affairs

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - On a warm sunny morning on July 2, Soldiers of the 525th Military Police Battalion competed in the 2014 Army Ten-Miler tryouts for the United States Army South Team. Tryouts ran twice a day through July 3, starting at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. each day. Sixty-nine Soldiers competed vigorously for what could be their once in a lifetime chance to participate in the annual Army Ten-Miler. This race is the third largest 10-mile race in the world and the second largest 10-miler in the United States, being held in Washington, D.C. This year marks the 30th annual Army Ten-Miler.

From its first race in 1985, the Army Ten-Miler has grown fiercely from having only 1,379 competitors to having 35,000 registered participants in 2013. Since the Army Ten-Miler began, more than 292,000 runners have competed, including more than 75 wounded Warriors and wheelchair athletes. While the history of the Army Ten-Miler is undoubtable, Soldiers across the world compete every year to either add their name to the roster with a shining victory or to have that once in a lifetime experience in their books that any Soldier would be lucky to have.

Soldiers try out for events like this for many different reasons, from passing time, boosting morale, to even testing their body’s limit and having an intense feeling of adrenaline rush throughout their muscles. For the first place female runner, Spc. Andrea Nein, a Soldier with the 420th Military Police Company who ran the 10-mile tryout in 1:12.40, running is more than just a challenge.

“It’s only ten miles,” said Nein. “People can do anything they set their mind to. It will give you a sense of accomplishment. It might hurt during and after but it will make you a stronger person in the end and pain is only temporary.”

For other Soldiers like Maj. Carrick McCarthy, executive officer for the 525th and a competitor in the 10-miler tryouts, participation in these types of events can boost morale and foster unit cohesions.
“I think it’s very important for Soldiers to try out for events like this for several reasons,” said McCarthy. “First, these types of events build esprit de corps in a unit and foster healthy competition amongst the companies and their Soldiers. The other reason I think Soldiers should try out for events like these is because competition pushes us to go beyond what we think we can do. There were a lot of Soldiers running those 10 miles against themselves, and I think they should be extremely proud of their efforts.”

• Date Taken: 07.18.2014
• Date Posted: 07.18.2014 12:15
• Story ID: 136531
• Location: GUANTANAMO BAY , CU