U.S. Army will be Represented in XTERRA Harbison Trail Run

15 soldiers from Fort Gordon will run half-marathon course

July 5, 2012 - The XTERRA Harbison Trail Run is regarded as one of the toughest races in South Carolina, due in part to the hot temperatures and challenging hills. Army soldiers from Fort Gordon, Georgia, will put it to the test this weekend.

The XTERRA Harbison Trail Run is scheduled for Sunday, July 8, at Harbison State Forest in Columbia, S.C., and more than 300 runners are expected to participate, including 15 soldiers from Fort Gordon.

"These new recruits have only been in the Army for about six months," said Staff Sgt. Myke Adkins, who is one of the coaches and trainers of the group. "This will be the first time these 15 soldiers will have run an event like this."

The XTERRA Harbison Trail Run features a 21-kilometer (half-marathon) course that will take runners up and down several steep hills. A forecast of rain in the days leading to the race could make the trails muddy, adding yet another element of difficulty.

Not that it matters to the Army runners. "I tell them it's not about the race of competing against others, but the one they will have with themselves. That is where the battle begins," Adkins said.

Adkins started running in races in 2009 - at the age of 39 - and has since completed four marathons and three ultra-marathons. He said his interest in running was sparked by Major Mike Erwin when they served together during their deployment in Afghanistan. Erwin went on to start Team Red, White and Blue, a non-profit organization that assists wounded veterans.

Adkins now leads new Army recruits on training runs at Fort Gordon, and said he recently found the XTERRA Harbison Trail Run online.

"Being summer time here in the south, I didn't think I was going to find anything in the area until I came across the XTERRA Trail Run website," Adkins said. "The soldiers were excited about the challenge that lay ahead. We did training runs during our normal week day physical fitness training and conducted several long runs on Saturday mornings, building up to our last training run of 10 miles two Saturdays ago."

CLICK HERE to learn more about the XTERRA Harbison Trail Run and the XTERRA South Carolina Trail Run Series.

XTERRA HARBISON TRAIL RUN
When: Sunday, July 8, 7 a.m. start
Where: Harbison State Park, Columbia, S.C.
What: 21K trail run and 5K trail run
Who: Open to runners of all ages and skill levels
Entry fees: $40 for 21K; $20 for 5K
Information: http://www.marathonmajic.com/XterraTrailRunCol-Harbison.html

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