The sun was rising and the air was brisk as runners lined up behind the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Fitness Center to qualify for the Army Ten-Miler this October.
JBM-HH 2011 Army Ten-Miler Team's qualifying historical race series kicked off April 15. The series commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and events that took place during the first year of battle.
The Civil War began April 12, 1861.
The other races will honor federal troops beginning their occupation of Northern Virginia in the Arlington House (May 20), Battle of Manassas; the first major land battle in the Civil War (June 24) and the establishment of Fort Cass now known as Fort Myer (Aug. 5).
Those who came to try out will be put into the running to join the JBM-HH Army Ten-Miler team.
''I've run the Ten-miler not with a team and then with a team and it's just so much more satisfying to run it with a team," said Staff. Sgt. Michael Creadon, Fife and Drum Corps.
''You just feel part of something rather than just being an individual out there."
''We will probably have 100 runners from JBM-HH," said Todd Hopkins, recreation specialist and special events coordinator for Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
''Those 100 runners will be formed into 14 to 16 running teams for us."
However, those who wish to join the JBM-HH Army Ten-Miler team are not required to run a 10K hosted by DFMWR.
''Say Fairfax does a 10K for something. They can give me that time as a recording time," said Hopkins.
To split up the runners, the Army 10-Miler groups runners with the same run time together.
All the runners start in two waves with the fastest runners up front and the slowest runners in the back.
The recording process for the Army 10-Miler to submit a running time starts with a 10K. Participants can run in all four of the qualifying races to try to get the best time possible. Their time will determine whether or not they get on the team but also where they are at the start line for the Army Ten-Miler.
The 10K runs on base consist of three loops of the base.
The first one take runners down Wainwright Road from the fitness center to behind the stables down Jackson Avenue until it connects to McNair Road which they take up to Pershing Drive and then run back behind the Fitness Center where they pass by for the second and third loops.
The last two loops required of runners takes them down Lee Avenue to connect to McNair Road after getting onto Jackson Avenue instead of running all the way down where McNair and Jackson meet.
To find out more about the qualifying race series visit www.jbmhhmwr.com.
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