Soldiers post fast times at 8 mile 2009 Warrior Country Rucksack Challenge

By Jim CunninghamNovember 24, 2009

Soldiers post fast times at 8 mile 2009 Warrior Country Rucksack Challenge
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

CASEY GARRISON South Korea - Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation held the annual Warrior Rucksack Challenge on the Casey-Hovey enclave Nov. 14 featuring 143 intrepid Soldiers competing in three categories for, not only the all time record for running 8 miles with 35 pounds riding on their backs, but for Commander's Cup points as well. All entrants were required to carry a rucksack weighing exactly 35 pounds in three divisions: Men's, Women's, and Team Divisions. The rucksacks were weighed before and after crossing the finish line.

In the Men's Division, Joshua Dehnert finished 1 with a time of 1:03:20, only 5:08 behind the all-time record of 0:58:12 set in 2006 by Michael Wooudenberg.

"My idea of how to win today was to run as fast as I could," Dehnert said. "The only special training I have is Army infantry training."

Jeffrey Hayden finished 2 with a time of 1:03:52.

"I paced myself through the entire 8 miles," Hayden said. "I am recovering from a broken ankle I sustained when training as a paratrooper in the Special Forces Training Course. It has been healing for 10 months and I have been walking for seven."

Hayden's accomplishment in finishing 2 in one of Warrior Country's most grueling events is remarkable after recovering from leg injuries.

Guy Hippleheuser finished 3 with a time of 1:10:55. Ronald Freeman finished 4 with a time of 1:11:50. Douglas Yorty finished 5 with a time of 1:12:54.

For the Women's Division, Catherine Hamilton finished 1 with a time of 1:27:23, only 1:33 behind the record of 1:25:50 set by Catherine Miller in 2007.

"I am a long distance runner, and have been training as such for a long time," Hamilton said, "I began to slow on the last hill but pulled it together for the finish."

Katte Corby placed 2 with a time of 1:29:55. Melissa Lounsbury finished 3 with a time of 1:59:07. Lashae Johnson finished 4 with a time of 2:01:46. Lashell Davis finished 5 with a time of 2:17:41.

Twelve five-runner teams lined up at the starting line for the event. Team 21, Zach Diesman, Brian Parker, Carlos Couto, Ross Woods and Rance Elmore placed 1 with a time of 1:19:18, 11:27 behind the all time record of 1:07:51 set in 2007.

Team 27, In, Gyu-cha, Oh, Byung-chul, Kim, Jin-chan, Jung, Woo-byun and Jung, Jin-hee, placed 2 with a time of 1:20:48.

The route of 8 miles started at Carey Physical Fitness Center and looped around the Camp Hovey Toko-ri gate where it doubled back and looped around the ammo bunkers on the east side of Casey before turning back west to the finish line at Carey.

"There may be one other base that has a similar event in the United States," said Randy Behr, director of sports for FMWR at USAG-Red Cloud. "We are the only one having an event like this, which is an event taken from the Bataan Qualifier held earlier in the year."

The Bataan Qualifier will be held early next year and will feature a course more than 13 miles and rucksacks weighing 40 lbs.