The Army Ten-Miler; It Is Not Always About Performance (Part One)

December 10, 2022December 1, 2022 George Banker 0 Comments Military Life, running

It was 38 years ago when the Army Ten-Miler’s started a new chapter. There have been three staples: the first is location (Pentagon) second, the distance (10 miles), and third, the racecourse, through Washington, D.C.

After 9-11, a few changes took place.

The route was scenic going up in front of the U.S. Capitol and the course turns five blocks before the U.S. Capitol. The site layout was in the Pentagon South Parking Lot and after the completion of the Pentagon Memorial, we moved the start line from Route 27 to Route 110. 2001 was the first year the race was canceled.

Another notable change was a course alteration that resulted from the renovation of the Arlington Memorial Bridge (2017-2018). The bridge crosses the Potomac River, going from Virginia to Washington. They dedicated the bridge on January 16, 1932, and opened on May 6, 1932.

The course changed (2018) from the Arlington Memorial Bridge to the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which spans the Potomac River. This marked the first time since 1985 that the race did not use the Memorial Bridge. The neighborhoods of Rosslyn, Virginia are connected to Georgetown, Washington, DC. The bridge opened on January 17, 1923. The course takes the exit for the Whitehurst Freeway and does not enter Georgetown.

In 2001, the race was canceled because of 9-11. On October 5, 2005, there was a course reroute because of a suspicious package under the 14th Street Bridge. The package was construction material. On October 8, 2017, we changed the race to recreational after 2 hours and 9 minutes into the race because of a rise in the heat and humidity. The runners under that tie received an official time (9,334 runners).

What defines an Event such as the Army 10 Miler?

A racecourse is one element that defines an event.

A flat course offers the runners the opportunity to match their abilities against others. The overall course has a couple of slight inclines along miles seven to eight.

We changed the 2020 and 2021 races to virtual racecourses, because of the COVID-19 pandemic over the concerns for the participants, spectators, staff, and the community.

A second element is a competition which defines all the participants.

Although the race does not offer prize money, it has attracted Olympic runners from around the world, including New Zealand, Costa Rica, and the United States. There have been other athletes on the podium from Brazil, England, Ethiopia, Italy, Kenya, Russia, and Turkey.

A third element is the “why.”

The reason for running the event. In 1985, there were 1,379 unique reasons from the finishers. In 2019, there were 25,107 unique reasons.

A memorable year was 2007 as an IED held for Major David G. Taylor, Jr., U.S. Army Infantry, who was killed in Bagdad on October 22, 2006, a celebration. Taylor’s parents Kay and David of London were part of the organizers for the participation in the Army Ten-Miler. Taylor’s wife Michelle and son, Jacob David Jude, were in attendance.

Jennifer Brown met David at Davidson College ROTC, who joined the Army. While stationed in Bagdad, she was notified of David’s death. She sent a letter (December 1, 2006) to Michelle to read to Jake once he became older. It read in part,

“Jake, you had a wonderful dad who loved you more than you can ever imagine. He did a great job of caring about so many people, and although he only got to know you for a little while, he considered himself the most blessed man in the world, and I know his love for you will last your lifetime.”

Over the years, there have been thousands of stories. The race serves as a reunion of friendships developed over the years.

A fourth element is competition on multiple levels, starting with individuals and teams.

The first female military winner (1990) was Army Sergeant Olga Markova of the USSR. At the end of the month, Markova won the Marine Corps Marathon with a time of 2:37:00, which remains the event record. In 1995, the first military male winner was Ronnie Harris of the U.S. Navy.
In 1996, the U.S. Army took both places on the podium with Michael Bernstein and Chris Udovich. The turning point of the Army Ten-Miler was in 1998 with the match-up between Michael Bernstein and Dan Browne.
Author George Banker and his IBM team place in 1991.
Browne made A statement in 1998 which got the attention of the Georgetown Reebok Enclave and the race in 1999 was pure excitement. Chris Graff of the Enclave made a move at mile six and broke from the pack and won the race.
Sergeant Sammy Ngatia of Fort Carson was the overall winner (48:50) as a master and established the event record (48:50) for male masters and the record remains. Ngatia is the only master to have won the event overall.
The top female is Alisa Harvey of Manassas, Va., who has won the event four times (1998, 1999, 2003, and 2006). The outstanding master and event record holder (57:31) five-time winner Perry Shoemaker of Vienna, Va.
On the male side, there have been six winners from the Army World-Class Athlete Program (WCAP), and five winners from Ethiopia, with the event record time set in 2009 (Alene Reta 46:59). There have been five runners from members of the U.S. Army and four winners from Brazil.
On the female side, there have been five winning members from the U.S. Army and five from WCAP with an event record set in 2019 (SPC Elvin Kibet 54:05).Author George Banker and his IBM team winning the Team Category in 1991.