Army Ten-Miler

Every year the Military District of Washington sponsors the Army Ten-Miler.  It is the premier running event of the US Army and the largest 10 mile race in the US.  The course begins and ends at the Pentagon and the route passes by many of the great monuments in the city.  Military units and bases around the world send teams to compete.

2004 Army Ten-Miler Team

CDT Mike Mencarini - Captain       76:07

CDT Devin Barta                         86:05

CDT Tom Dolce                           73:24

CDT Dan Terbilcox                      76:05

Cadet Perspective on the Army Ten-Miler

By: CDT Mike Mencarini

This fall, for the first time, the Marquette University Army ROTC unit sent a team to Washington, D.C. to compete in the Army Ten-Miler.  Many early mornings this semester were spent training for the race by running all around Milwaukee, from the Marquette Campus to Miller Park, the Lakefront, or the East Side of the city.

As part of our trip to Washington we arranged to take a tour of the Pentagon.  While walking down the halls of the Pentagon, we were even able to catch a glimpse of Secretary Rumsfeld.  We were also able to visit the new World War Two Memorial along with many of the other monuments in Washington.

Around 16,000 people were competing in the race, and the atmosphere of the starting line on race day was exciting.  The race started and finished at the Pentagon, and there was a mob of people lined up on the highway ready to start running. The route passed by some of the more famous Washington landmarks and made the run very scenic. After crossing the Arlington Bridge and passing by the Lincoln Memorial, runners looped around the Kennedy Center and then ran along the Mall past the World War II memorial and the Washington Monument down to the Capital. After reaching the Capital, runners continued back towards the Potomac, and the last leg of the race crossed the bridge into Virginia and ended at the Pentagon.  The most exciting part of the race was the last 50 meters, as the crowd near the finish line was yelling and cheering everyone on.

Running the Army Ten-Miler was a rewarding experience full of camaraderie and espirit-de-corps. Marquette is planning on sending another team next year as well, to represent not only the Golden Eagle Battalion but also Marquette University.