FORT KNOX, Kentucky -- Eight runners from Fort Knox earned a 7th place finish at what some have described as a warm, humid 2018 Army Ten-Miler in Washington, D.C. Oct. 7.
Sponsored by the Fort Knox Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, the six men and two women competed in the Active Duty Mixed Team category against 56 other teams from around the U.S. Army. They claimed the number 7 spot with an overall time of 4:20:55.
"They did really well," said Austin Howell, director of Sports & Fitness at Fort Knox DFMWR. "Since I've been sending teams up, this is the best finish we've had."
The Army Ten-Miler is considered the second-largest 10-mile race in the United States. In conjunction with the annual Association of the U.S. Army conference and Best Warrior competition, the Ten-Miler website touts the run as an event designed "to promote the Army, build esprit de corps, support Army fitness goals, and enhance community relations."
Representing the Fort Knox team were Sgt. Andrew Kirwa of 19th Engineer Battalion, Capt. Ryan Speray of the Fort Knox Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Sgt. Nahjier Williams of 1st Theater Sustainment Command, and five members of U.S. Army Human Resources Command -- Maj. Kyle Greenberg, the team captain; Capt. Eric Towle; Capt. Austin Moore; Chief Warrant Officer Matar Amit; and Capt. Alana Mack.
The team was chosen based on results from the Army Ten-Miler Qualifier race held on post June 2.
New to this year's team was Speray. As a lawyer, he recently entered the Army and moved to Fort Knox in February. Though a veteran at running races, Speray said this was his first race with the Army and his first Ten-Miler.
"It was a good showing. It's an awesome race and a great event," said Speray. "The team was very disciplined in our approach to workouts and practices, and a commitment to the training program. That commitment and discipline produced the positive results we saw."
As the team captain and de facto coach, Greenberg was responsible for writing the training plan and implementing the strategy.
"It's a long enough race that you have to be thoughtful and conscientious of your preparation for it," said Speray.
The Soldiers ran their race in the following times:
• Kirwa, 59:08 finish net time -- finished 85th overall, 82nd gender, 27th division
• Speray, 1:01:25 finish net time -- finished 144 overall, 138th gender, 32nd division
• Greenberg, 1:02:25 finish net time -- finished 179th overall, 168th gender, 31st division
• Towle, 1:10:11 finish net time -- finished 635th overall, 563rd gender, 105th division
• Williams, 1:12:15 finish net time -- finished 830 overall, 729 gender, 128th division
• Moore, 1:17:43 finish net time -- finished 1,598th overall, 1,339th gender, 91st division (was an alternate, replacing Master Sgt. Brian Hamilton due to injury)
• Amit, 1:17:57 finish net time -- finished 1,639th overall, 270th gender, 51st division
• Mack, 1:21:16 finish net time -- finished 2,342 overall, 417th gender, 86th division
The team also included three alternates, who trained with the others and according to DFMWR officials, were prepared to step in if a team member was unable to run. They were Hamilton due to injury, and Sgt. 1st Class Keith Killgren and Maj. Tosha Nichols, both of 1st TSC.
Speray said the race turned out to be more than he expected it to be going in: "This is more than a race; it's a cultural experience."
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