FORT CARSON, Colo. – Every year, teams representing Army posts around the world pit their abilities against one another during the annual Army 10-Miler in Washington, D.C. Post commanders accept only the best runners to carry the pride of their installation to the nation’s capitol, where they compete with more than 30,000 soldiers, family members, veterans and civilians, in a tradition that spans nearly three decades.
Eighteen soldiers tested their physical and mental limits to represent Fort Carson during the Army 10-Miler team qualifiers on post, April 26.
“If you have never been to the Army 10-Miler, it is really something to see,” said Lorri Martindale, facilities manager, Fort Carson Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
“I still get goose bumps thinking about it,” said Martindale, who has organized the Fort Carson team for the past eight years. “The feeling of camaraderie in the air is really inviting,”
During the second of four qualifiers, soldiers ran a 10-mile loop around Fort Carson to earn one of 16 slots on the team.
“The best runners are people who are truly dedicated to the sport,” Martindale said. “It is a way of life for them. They have regimented training schedules, and they don’t take it lightly.”
Staying in good physical condition and pushing personal limits to achieve higher standards motivates competitive runners, said Spc. Nate McManus, horizontal construction engineer, 59th Quartermaster Company, 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 43rd Sustainment Brigade.
“I’ve been running competitively for 14 years, and I’ve run in the Army 10-Miler three times,” said McManus, who finished the qualifiers more than a minute faster than his closest competitor, with a time of 1:02.09. “There is a lot of energy at this race. I look forward to competing again this year.”
The 28th Annual Army 10-Miler will be held Oct. 21, the day before the start of the Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition.
Martindale said she would like to see maximum participation from soldiers interested in becoming members of Fort Carson’s 2012 10-Miler Team during the final qualifiers, May 10 and 24.
The eight males and eight females with the fastest times from any of the qualifiers will represent Fort Carson during the event in October.
“If you don’t come out to the trials, you will never know if you were good enough to make the team,” she said.
For additional information about trying out for the Fort Carson Army 10-Miler team contact Martindale at 719-526-9120 or lorri.d.martindale.civ@mail.mil.