UAF ROTC cadets, staff complete 50K foot race.

Submitted by Burnham, Nathan
Phone: (907) 474-6852
03/04/06

In the context of more than 30 miles of running, the final few can tend to stretch on.

"The last two miles seemed like 10,"? said an exhausted Joshua Hull after finishing the Little Susitna 50K in Big Lake at the end of February.

Hull was one of three cadets from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Army ROTC program who traveled, along with two ROTC staff members, to Southcentral Alaska to compete in the annual race.

The 31.1 mile race follows mushing trails across frozen swamps and low ridges from Big Lake to a turn around point just past the Little Susitna River. The race is an offshoot of the Iditasport, a multi-sport cross country race which has been a staple of serious winter athletes for years.

"It’s a real gut check,"? said Maj. Nathan Burnham, one of the leaders of the group that did the race. "None of us are real marathoners, but the Army stresses total body strength and mental toughness, so this was a great chance for us to test ourselves."?

Cadet Eric Mitke, who will commission as a lieutenant in the Army this May, said he enjoyed training for the race.

"I learned about myself and my limits," said Mitke. He added, with a smile, "But the best part was crossing the finish line "| that’s what I like best about running, the stopping part"?

Captain Peter Nesbitt said the race was a new experience for him.

"I wanted to show the cadets that we practice the life-long commitment to physical fitness that we preach to them all the time,"? he said.

The group’s goal was to finish the cross-country race in around six hours. Mitke was the first cadet across the finish line with a time of 5:23:55. Cadet Ethan Caldwell finished in 5:43:04, Burnham came in at 5:52:48 and Nesbitt finished in 6:14:32. Hull had experienced knee problems while training and this injury flared up during the race. He still managed to finish, limping across the finish line just after dark with a time of 7:38:37.

"This is exactly the sort of thing I like to see our cadets do,"? said Lt. Col. Cameron Carlson, professor of military science and leadership at UAF. "We want the Army’s future leaders to be tough enough to deal with arduous conditions and this race showed that these guys are ready."?

CONTACT: Maj, Nathan Burnham, UAF ROTC enrollment services officer at (907) 474-6852 or via e-mail at ffncb@uaf.edu