Soldier strides to success

Courtesy Photo | Spc. James Cheruiyot, a medic with HHT, 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 4th IBCT, finishes first at the Miracle March Marathon in Waco, Texas, 2010. (COURTESY PHOTO)  

FORT STEWART, GA, UNITED STATES

11.07.2011

Courtesy Story

4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

Story by: Sgt. Nate Crew
6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 4th IBCT

FORT STEWART, Ga. - Spc. James Cheruiyot has been a busy man since finishing college two years ago. Between graduating in late 2009 and shipping to Iraq in early 2011, Cheruiyot -- a medic with Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division --competed in nine marathons and seven half marathons, winning first place overall nine times and finishing top 10 in all 16 events. Cheruiyot’s best official marathon time is 2:25:03 -- that’s an incredible four-and-a-half-minute mile, kept up for 26.2 miles.

On Oct. 30, the 29-year-old soldier joined more than 21,000 other athletes at the 2011 Marine Corps Marathon with a goal of completing yet another 26-mile run. It was his 10th full marathon, but this was the first marathon he competed in after a 12-month deployment to Iraq.

The average time at the Marine Marathon was 4:43:23- Cheruiyot finished in 2:56:41, placing among the top five Army runners; 36th out of more than 1,500 runners in his age group; 136th of more than 12,000 male finishers and 146th overall.

“I never imagined being here now, representing the Army, running through the nation’s capital for the Marine Corps Marathon,” said Cheruiyot, who was born and raised in Kenya. “Growing up in Kenya, I didn’t run quite as much yet,” he said, “but I used to walk six miles to school every day. In college I ran a lot, so then I began to enjoy it.”

Cheruiyot first came to America in the fall of 2005 to attend Harding University in Searcy, Ark. He received a full scholarship to run on Harding’s cross country and track teams, both in NCAA Division II. It didn’t take long for him to become a highly respected athlete. Before he ever started running marathons, Cheruiyot ran 20 races. Seven of them he won, and in eight more he placed in the top 10 runners.

Now, a soldier at Fort Stewart, Ga., Cheruiyot’s barracks room has barely enough space for all his running trophies. For his comrades in 6-8 Cavalry, Cheruiyot sets the standard for running in PT.

“We try to use Cheruiyot to dynamically train our bodies to exceed the standard,” said Staff Sgt. Dayton Davis, Cheruiyot’s platoon sergeant in HHT. “He’s very humble, but we have to do release runs at the end of PT so he can get a little workout.“

Davis added that Cheruiyot’s love of running can be seen clearly each morning in the wide grin he wears while taking his long, easy-looking strides.

“Morning PT is barely a warm-up for him,” he said. “Every day after work, he runs 13 miles.”

Cheruiyot offered some tips for anyone wanting to become a better runner.

“A problem for most people is running on a hard surface. It’s much better to train on soft surfaces like grass or dirt.”

But Cheruiyot said running long distance is essentially the same as anything else you would train physically for.

“There’s nothing I can tell someone unless they go out and train hard, and progress to longer distances,” he said. “You can’t just get up one morning and run a marathon at 8 o’clock. You have to condition your body to that time, and to that distance.”

Cheruiyot plans to continue competing as a runner as long as he physically can, even after he separates from the Army. In the meantime, his quiet dedication, patience and drive inspire fellow soldiers.

• Date Taken: 11.07.2011
• Date Posted: 11.11.2011 16:34
• Story ID: 79911
• Location: FORT STEWART, GA, US