Belvoir 10-Miler qualifying run moves athletes into national event

By Rick Musselman, Belvoir EagleAugust 25, 2011

Belvoir 10-Miler qualifying run moves athletes into national event
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Fort Belvoir Soldiers competed in the Army 10-Miler qualifying run at Mount Vernon early Aug. 17 to establish the team that will be representing the post at the national Army 10-Miler in Washington, D.C., Oct. 9.

The race was sponsored by Army Morale, Welfare and Recreation and was organized by Fort Belvoir Headquarters Battalion and Lt. Col. R. Dwayne Bowyer, Headquarters Bn., commander.

The participants of the event gathered near Mount Vernon plantation at 5 a.m. to discuss the course and warm up for the run. They were then transported by shuttle vans to the starting point 10 miles north.

The first leg of the course followed George Washington Parkway, with the final segment running along the Potomac River on the paved and wooded Mount Vernon Trail, a popular bicycling and jogging path.

"What we're doing today is getting the qualifying times so I can get the top six males and top two females to be the Fort Belvoir (mixed active-duty) team," Bowyer said. "Once the times are recorded we'll put the team together, submit our names, start training, and get ready for the October 10-Miler."

The 10-Miler race is a major competition for Army runners, and Belvoir's athletes went all out on the often challenging course.

"This is a great event," said Major Ryan Leonard, U.S. Army Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems. "I've run the event 5 or 6 times at different posts, and it's nice to have it here at Fort Belvoir."

"And we have some great runners this year," he added.

As participants passed the end marker, their times were recorded by officials in the assembly-point lot. Bowyer encouraged the athletes in the final stretch of the contest and congratulated them as they passed the time keeper.

The 2011 Army 10-Miler in Washington, D.C. is produced by the U.S. Army Military District of Washington, with the proceeds supporting Army Morale, Welfare, and Recreation.

According to ArmyTenMiler.com, "the mission of the Army Ten-Miler is for the Military District of Washington to safely conduct the Army's annual 10-mile race to promote the Army, build esprit de corps, support fitness goals, and enhance community relations."

The Oct. 9 10-Miler will start at 8 a.m. on Route 110 near Arlington National Cemetery, proceed through Washington, D.C. past its major landmarks, and then conclude in the Pentagon North parking lot.

"About 30,000 runners sign up for (the Army 10-Miler in D.C.)," Bowyer said.

"This event is really sponsored and coordinated by the Fort Belvoir MWR," he added. "They pay for our entry fees and our uniforms. The [program] is good; it gets a lot of different folks from around the installation to come out and be part of a team."

Additional information is available at the Army 10-Miler website at www.army tenmiler.com or by contacting Bowyer at (703) 459-0348.