FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- More than 60 Fort Drum runners formed outside Magrath Gym on post May 11 to compete in a 10K race for a potential spot on the Fort Drum Army Ten-Miler Team.
Qualifiers will go on to represent Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division (LI) in the 26th annual Army Ten-Miler on Oct. 9. This is the Army's premier running event and the third-largest 10-mile road race in the world, according to the official event web site.
Every year, the 10th Mountain Division (LI), in conjunction with Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, sponsors four teams of six runners and four individual runners in the Army's 10-mile road race held in Washington, D.C.
A total of 52 male and 10 female Soldiers and airmen lined up at 7 a.m. to run the Riva Ridge Loop, approximately 6.2 miles, for a chance to gain one of 28 positions on Fort Drum's Army Ten-Miler Team.
This year's first-place qualifier was Air Force Capt. Jeffrey Lucy, 27, 20th Air Support Operations Squadron, with a final time of 37 minutes and 44 seconds. The first woman to cross the finish line was Sgt. Amanda M. Bailey, 33, a logistics specialist F Company, 210th Brigade Support Battalion, with a time of 46 minutes and 2 seconds.
"I don't win very often, so it's nice to come out on a warm day and run a good race," Lucy said after he had a chance to grab some water provided to the runners by FMWR, "especially with the support the race crew gave."
Many of this year's competitors came for a variety of reasons, from wanting to win the race to enjoying the weather or because of a leader's encouragement.
Such is the case for the second-place male finisher Spc. Nigel Lewis, 25, a logistics specialist with F Company, 210th Brigade Support Battalion, clocking in his first race with a time of 38 minutes and 56 seconds.
Lewis said he surprised himself by his placement and gave credit to Bailey, his squad leader, for encouraging him to enter the race.
At the completion of the race James M. Moshier, chief of Sports, Fitness and Aquatic Programs with FMWR, announced the top 10 qualifiers for male and female and presented them with T-shirts.
The top three male and female finishers, as follows, were awarded trophies: first place, Air Force Capt. Jeffrey Lucy, 27, 37:44, and Sgt. Amanda M. Bailey, 33, 46:02; second place, Spc. Nigel Lewis, 25, 38:56, and Capt. Meghan Ederle, 34, 46:28; third place, 1st Lt. Justin Leddon, 25, 39:11, and Capt. Amanda Caiazza, 28, 48:21.
Moshier said the top 10 qualifiers in each category will begin an intense training program in the next few weeks, but the team will have the challenge of working around unit training schedules, as all members are Soldiers first and athletes second.
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