FORT DRUM, N.Y. (July 19, 2023) -- A former All-Army Soccer player, a collegiate rower and two Best Ranger competitors are among the members of this year’s Fort Drum Army Ten-Miler Team.
Soldiers across the 10th Mountain Division (LI) had three chances to register and run for a spot on the roster, with the final qualifier on July 13 gathering 22 runners to the starting line.
“It was exciting to see this many people show up for the final qualifier,” said Jonathan Burnard, with Fort Drum FMWR Sports, Fitness and Aquatics. “Even with the chance of thunderstorms, I think we had more here than last time.”
He said it also was encouraging to see Soldiers running their second and even third qualifier just to secure their place on the team.
“The drive and the motivation of those people is great,” Burnard said. “That says to me, ‘Hey, I want to be on this team, and I will do what it takes to compete at the highest level.’ They know the Army Ten-Miler is a great experience. It’s a lot of fun seeing your battle buddies from other teams.”
The 18-person roster is composed of an active-duty men’s team, active-duty women’s team, and an active-duty mixed team. According to Army Ten-Miler rules, a team’s four fastest times will be used for official scoring.
First Lt. Matthew Clark placed second at the June qualifier and finished the six miles in 34:47. He ran the final qualifier but didn’t improve on his time.
“I was really just looking to defend my spot on the team,” he said. “The running community is so small here, so you kind of know who is going to run and who will have the fastest times. So, I just wanted to make sure I was in that top six.”
Staff Sgt. Santiago Gonzales placed first in all three qualifiers, with 34:40 being his fastest finish. Staff Sgt. Brendan McCauley recorded a 35:17 to finish ahead of Clark.
“Making the team is a good capstone for me,” Clark said. “I’ll be leaving here before the Army Ten-Miler next year, and this is something I’ve wanted to do since I first got here. It’s awesome to finally be doing this.”
Clark was unable to run on the team last year because he was on deployment with 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team.
He said he is excited to join a team of familiar faces. Clark trained with Gonzales for the Best Ranger Competition, ran races with Maj. Aaron Anderson (Fort Drum Army Ten-Miler Team captain) and has known 1st Lt. Joe Karslo the entire time he has been stationed here.
Among his teammates is his wife, 1st Lt. Emily Clark, a registered dietitian with 2nd Brigade Combat Team’s Holistic Health and Fitness staff. She qualified for the team in June after recording a time of 45:05, the third-fastest time among women competitors.
Several years ago, it was the Army Ten-Miler that brought them together. They were both in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program at Baylor University.
“I have known Matthew since 2016, but knew little about him until 2018,” Emily Clark said. “In 2018, we both raced the Army Ten-Miler. He sat next to me on the plane as we travelled from Texas to D.C., and we became great friends.”
“Flash forward to 2020, and we ran 10 miles one Saturday morning,” she continued. “At the end of the run, he proposed, and we still try to run the Army Ten-Miler every year.”
Clark ran on the women’s team last year, and this will be her third trip to D.C.
“I have had a great experience each time,” she said. “I love being a part of the team and challenging myself.”
Maj. Aaron Anderson, executive officer for 7th Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, is running his fourth Army Ten-Miler after locking in a 34:57 qualifying time.
“There is no race quite like the Army Ten-Miler,” he said. “For starters, most races are individual, and this one allows you to be a member of a team. It is also special to get to wear the Fort Drum and 10th Mountain Division logos while competing.”
Anderson said the Army Ten-Miler sometimes feels like a big reunion where service members and veterans congregate with people they served with throughout their careers.
“There is a large contingent of 10th Mountain Division leaders past and present that come to D.C. to see the race, and it is special to be a part of an organization with such pride and history,” he said. “It is a lot of fun to go to D.C., see the sights, and connect with old friends. Very rarely do I go to races where I know so many people.”
As team captain, Anderson said he will host a meeting so all the runners can get to know one another. He also will gauge their interest in team practices or if they prefer individual training.
“It really all depends on what the team wants,” he said. “Last year, we had a lot of team members who were training up for other races later in the season, so we didn’t want to derail their training plans. That said, if even one person wants the help and is willing to meet up, I am happy to oblige.”
Anderson said that regardless of how the team performs in October, he wants to emphasize the experience of running this race.
“I hope each member takes the opportunity to embrace the race and being a part of the team,” he said. “Being on the Fort Drum team and going to D.C. is one of those unique opportunities that you can only experience while you are in the Army. It is my hope that all the team members make the most out of this trip, both as racers and members of the profession, so that years down the road they will look back and know they were part of something special.”
The final team roster will be posted online at www.facebook.com/FtDrumFitness. Qualifier race photos are available at www.flickr.com/photos/drum10thmountain/albums/72177720309084754.
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