Dozens of 1st Infantry Division Soldiers were up early June 16, preparing to begin the second day of athletic competitions in the division's annual Victory Week.
Eighty-five participants convened on Fort Riley's Custer Hill to participate in the Ten Mile Run that is part of a week-long celebration of the rich lineage and history of the Big Red One.
The run serves as a qualifier for active-duty Soldiers to compete in the Army Ten Miler, scheduled for this October in Washington, D.C. Fort Riley Soldiers previously were only able to locally qualify for the national racing event by competing in the 10-5-2 Prairie Run, conducted annually on Fort Riley.
"The Soldiers now have two opportunities at Fort Riley to qualify for the Army Ten Miler," said Alyssa Neider, sports director for the Directorate of Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation. "It really benefits the Soldiers, such as the units currently redeploying with 4th Brigade, who might not make it back in time for Victory Week. They can still have the chance to qualify for the Army Ten Miler at the 10-5-2 Prairie Run."
The 25th Annual 10-5-2 Prairie Run is scheduled for July 25.
In addition to serving as a qualifier for the Army Ten Miler, the Victory Week Ten Mile Run provided Soldiers the opportunity to earn points toward the Victory Cup for their respective units. The cup will be awarded during an 8 a.m. ceremony on Friday to the unit that accumulated the most points for their accomplishments in the sporting competitions.
An unlimited amount of Soldiers from each battalion could participate in the race, although only six runners from each unit could compete for points.
2nd Lts. Charles Billi and Meghan Curran, of 2nd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery, 75th Fires Brigade, from Fort Sill, Okla., earned their unit additional points when they crossed the race's finish line in first and second, respectively.
"It feels great. It was a tough course, I always thought that Kansas was flat but there were plenty of hills along the route for an extra challenge," Billi chuckled. He was the first runner to cross the finish line with a time of 1 hour, 3 minutes and 50 seconds.
"It was a lot of fun," he said.
Shortly after, Curran was the first female runner to cross the finish line and second overall competitor to complete the race. Both she and Billi will advance to compete for their inaugural run in the Army Ten Miler this fall.
"Running has always been fun for me," she said. "I had a great time participating in the Victory Week Ten Mile run today and I look forward to representing the Big Red One in the Army Ten miler.
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