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

*This part two in the Army 10 Miler Series written by George Banker

To capture the essence of what training means as a Military runner, Olympian Frank Shorter stated this online in Runner World’s Daily (May 26, 1998),

“…military life is not for everyone, but I would encourage all American runners to note the way the members of the Army track team focus in on their objectives, go about achieving their incremental goals, and, ultimately, complete their mission. In short, they have a plan.”

This quote is embodied in the soldiers that run and compete in the Army Commander’s Cup. They train together all year long to win this competition. To see the requirements and categories, visit the Teams page on the ATM website.

The Commander’s Cup

The Army 10 Miler competition goes to a different level regarding the Commander’s Cup for the men and in 1997 a women’s division was added.

• Since 1987, the Fort Carson men have captured the title 14 times and Fort Bragg twice.
• Since 1997, Fort Bragg women have dominated with 15 wins to Fort Carson’s one.
• In 2011 and 2016, Fort Bragg captured both the men’s and women’s divisions.
• In 2022 team Fort Carson captured both the men’s and women’s divisions.
• Fort Carson men set the record with a time of 3:19:36. Fort Bragg women set the record in 2016 with a time of 4:13:49.
• The fastest push-rim wheelchair for men was Ken Archer of Bowie, Md., with a time of 40:04 (1994). The female champion is Chandra Gaeth of Ellicott City, Md., with a time of 56:59 (2012).

Notable Runners of Past Army 10 Miler Races

Since there is no prize money at the Army Ten-Miler, the top-ranking runners will not attend, but the race attracts notable runners.

NASA astronaut, Colonel Bill McArthur, Jr. (1999 ATM 1:30:00).

“I do a modest amount of running and NASA expects us to stay healthy. The key is to be healthy. I had fun and finished. Part of my routine is being in the gym. The oldest astronaut was 61 and NASA is going to ask me to leave because of my age. I’ll be doing two spacewalks on the next mission. It is more difficult to adjust coming back to earth and getting muscle tone back,” 

Col. McArthur logged 354 orbits of the earth and traveled 9.2 million miles. He was scheduled for flight STS-92 in February 2000 as a mission specialist.

Congressional representative Jim Ryun

Ryun of the 2nd Congressional District of Kansas, crossed the finish line in 2003 with a time of 1:18:11. In 1965, he set the high school record for the mile) at 3:55.3, which was not broken until 2002. In 1965, he set a world record for the mile with a time of 3:51.3. He took part in the Olympic Games in 1964, 1968, and 1974.

Capt. Dan Browne of the Oregon National Guard in 2004 stated,

“The difference is that some people want things to happen, and other people must have things happen. It’s a mindset difference. The mind is a powerful weapon. To use it effectively is the difference,” 

Browne also stated:

“WCAP was a great developmental phase for me. I truly appreciated the military for getting me to where I was prepared mentally and physically to make the US Olympic Team. It’s the main reason I am still in the Oregon National Guard because I want to have the military attached to my name when I’m in Athens,” 

At the Olympics in Athens, Browne ran in the 10,000 meters (28:14.53) and the marathon (2:27:17). Browne holds three-Army Ten-Miler wins.

2009 record-setter Alene Reta of Ethiopia (46:59)

“The Army Ten-Miler was a dominant race overall–beautiful course, weather, spectators. In fact, it has been one of the best events that I have run into during my racing career. It was such that all elements came together in order to allow me to run my personal best and simply enjoy the camaraderie. There were also other great elite runners competing, so that always makes for a well-deserved day’s work,” 

Captain Kelly Calway, a member of the Army World-Class Athlete Program (WCAP) and the 2008 Army Female Athlete of the Year.

“I was impressed with the level of competition. There were high-caliber runners, both international and domestic, that showed up for the event. The pre-analysis of the field gave me a taste of what to expect out of the course and I knew I’d have my work cut out for me. I was ready to take on many women who came out and ran dominant races that day. I was also ready to be on the podium,” (2010)

Alisa Harvey, the only four-time winner of the Army Ten-Miler.

“One of the starkest changes in the Army Ten-Miler is the level of elite competition over the last ten years. I recall back in 1998, 1999, and 2003 that the race attracted the top runners in the Washington, D.C. area. In addition, a few of the Army’s elite runners would run, but there was no large contingency of elite national or international runners like there is today,” stated Harvey in 2012.

Harvey was the 1991 gold medalist at 1500-meters (4:08.33) and a silver medal at 800-meters (1:59.99) at the Pan American Games. 

Two Time Olympian, Meredith Valmon

making her Army Ten-Miler debut in 2003 placed 11th with a time of 1:03:21. Valmon is a two-time Olympian at 800 meters. In 1999, she was ranked #2 by Track & Filed (1:58.96).

Solonei Da Silva, 2014 Army 10 Miler Winner and PAN AM Gold Medalist (2011)

“I managed throughout, but I knew the last two miles was the heart of the course,” Solonei Da Silva, 32, Sa Paulo, Brazil, said through an interpreter, “I prepared myself to give all I had left to finish. Toward the end, it gets a little easier, so I just gave it that last bit of gas I had left, and it worked out. It just feels great to have a good showing by the Brazilian Army to show the world what the Brazilian Army can do.”

Da Silva is the 2011 Pan American Games Gold medalist in the marathon (2:16:37), (Reported by Tim Hipps IMCOM). Da Silva was the 2014 winner (48:28).

Olympian, Tina Muir of England, ATM Winner 2015

“That was a surreal moment and brought home to me what this race was about; the military, and all they do for the US. That moment made me realize just how incredible that was to be running amongst wounded warriors and others who had given their lives to keep the rest of us safe. All the hours of training I had put in to get to this point meant nothing compared to the sacrifice they had made. It really brought it home for me, and for a moment I felt very selfish about thinking about myself and the win,” (2015 winner Olympian, Tina Muir of England)

At the 2015 Army Ten-Miler, the winner (48:19) was Specialist Paul Chelimo, Army WCAP athlete. A silver medal was captured in the 5,000 meters (13:03.09) at the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro.

Former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army (1995-1999), General Dennis Reimer clocked a net time of 2:07:07 (2019) and third place in the 80-84 age group.

“I can’t imagine what my life would have been without running. It worked for me, but it is not an exercise for everyone. I think the important thing is to find some exercise—e.g., walking, swimming, biking, etc.—that works for you individually and then make it a priority in your life. I would be less than honest if I did not also say it helps to have a spouse who understands how important running really is and who supports you in that endeavor—I was most fortunate in that regard,” – General Dennis Reimer (Ret)

This writer is looking forward to seeing many more notable runners added to this list. Happy Holidays and See you in 2023.

*For more on running and the Army 10 Miler, check out Expert, George Banker on AWN.

*Find more informtion on the Army 10 Miler here.