Strides to success: 2CR Soldier wins half marathon

Photo By 2nd Lt. Justin Burmahl | U.S. Army 1st Lt. Jack Baisley, field artillery officer, Field Artillery Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment races to the finish line during the Amberg Half-Marathon in Amberg, Germany, April 28, 2019. Baisley won the race after finishing with a time of 1 hour, 13 minutes and 48 seconds. (U.S. Army photo by 2nd Lt. Justin Burmahl)  

AMBERG, BY, GERMANY

05.02.2019

Story by 2nd Lt. Justin Burmahl 

2d Cavalry Regiment

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Jack Baisley, field artillery officer, Field Artillery Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment, won the Amberg Half-Marathon after completing the race with a time of 1 hour, 13 minutes and 48 seconds in Amberg, Germany, April 28, 2019.

The race was open to anyone interested in participating and consisted of four loops around the historical walls that encircle the heart of Amberg, also known as “the ring”.

“Winning this race was incredibly exciting,” said Baisley. “I went into this race with the mindset that it’s a stepping stone towards my goal, and would be a good baseline to see where my fitness is at, so to come away with the win is a very exciting starting point.”

Baisley’s background in running includes competing in track during high school and competing at the collegiate level while attending Columbia University.

However, he did not always find himself atop of the podium after a race. A setback occurred in middle school when he was cut from the track team because he did not run fast enough. Baisley used that as motivation to push himself harder than everyone else did. He ran further during and after practices in order to improve.

He was quick to point out the importance of comradery and support during the race.

“It is also such a fun way to engage with the German community that we’re so fortunate to work in,” continued Baisley. “The language barrier can be tough, but cheering each other on during a race is a pretty universal language.”

Baisley plans to continue competing in the future. His next race will be the U.S. Army Europe 10 Miler Qualifier in June where he hopes to make the All-Army Team and be a top 20 runner during the Army 10 Miler in October.

”The exciting part about the Army is there are so many opportunities out there,” said Baisley. “There’s the potential of going on to take command of a Field Artillery Battery, I’ve looked into Psychological Operations and potentially [the judge advocate general’s corps]. Nothing is out of the question.”

• Date Taken: 05.02.2019
• Date Posted: 05.03.2019 05:56
• Story ID: 320408
• Location: AMBERG, BY, DE
• Hometown: HOLMDEL, NJ, US