FORT DRUM, N.Y. (May 14, 2026) -- Soldiers from across the 10th Mountain Division (LI) took advantage of a cool spring morning to race for a spot on the Fort Drum Army Ten-Miler Team outside Magrath Sports Complex.
The May 14 run was the first of three qualifiers, and 34 Soldiers ran the 10-mile course. Chief Warrant 2 Dalton Pollen, with 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, 10th Mountain Division Artillery, finished first among all participants with a time of 1:04:17.
Normally, the qualifiers are six-mile runs, but Fort Drum FMWR organizers chose a full 10-mile course to assess candidates.
“I showed up thinking it was going to be a six-mile run like in past years, but I’m working to qualify for the Boston Marathon, so I’ve been doing a lot of running this year,” Pollen said. “So, I just needed to adjust my pace a little bit.”
Pollen said he traded lead position with two other runners for the first few miles, before putting his speed and endurance training to work.
“It was a pretty good run out here today, so I’m happy with it,” he said.
If he makes the team, this will be Pollen’s first trip to Washington, D.C., for the big race in October.
“The Army 10-Miler has got to be one of the biggest races in America,” he said. Boston is probably the biggest, and then there’s the Marine Corps Marathon. When I think about running, those are some of the top races I think about.”
Spc. Brian Newkirk placed second with a time of 1:04:23, followed by Spc. Noah Rugut, 1:05:15.
“I was really thinking that I would go a little bit slower, but the other runners took it out fast from the start,” said Newkirk, with 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team. “I was trying to hold on, survive the uphills, and then I think the leader broke me on mile 4. The last two miles I was inching and inching a little bit closer to him, but in the last 200 meters he held me off.”
Newkirk is a returning member of the Fort Drum Army Ten-Miler Team.
“It’s definitely an honor to represent Fort Drum and compete against the best,” he said. “I’d like to try and recruit some more guys from my battalion and see if we can get more on the team.”
Capt. Hannah Reeder and Sgt. Sanjuana Lopez recorded the fastest times for the women’s team, at 1:21:23 and 1:31:45, respectively.
There are two more chances for 10th Mountain Division (LI) Soldiers to join the Fort Drum Army Ten-Miler Team. The next qualifier is scheduled 7 a.m. June 3, and then 7 a.m. July 7. Registration on both days begins at 6 a.m.
For more information, call (315) 772-6663.
| Date Taken: |
05.14.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
05.14.2026 12:07 |
| Story ID: |
565272 |
| Location: |
FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: |
23 |
| Downloads: |
1 |
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