It is a smaller series that has only two other events scheduled for 2015, Dayton, Ohio on August 30, and Dade City, Florida on December 5. Green Beret Challenge is not looking to take over the world, just provide a unique opportunity to see what certain people are made of. Created and run by former Green Beret Special Forces members, they’re not really interested in staging something “everyone can do”. It’s a team based event whereby you are only as good and as fast as your least prepared teammate, so everyone steps it up to help get that team get across the finish line.
“Logs, tires, sand bags, litters, sleds, telephone poles, and definitely water, combined with the most intense terrain each venue has to offer, will create your own personal hell on earth. We promise the pain will be legendary, but the sense of accomplishment will last forever.” Is what GBC has to say about themselves on their Facebook Page, and they delivered. Other Slogans are “Building Better Humans” and “8 Miles of Hell”. This weekend it laid out to be more than 10 miles on the course and they said the 2 extra miles of hell was a free bonus for the participants. Some people joked that a more apt slogan would have been “10 Miles of Carrying Heavy Stuff Through the Woods”.
Venue and Festival Area
Fort Yargo State Park is a lovely wooded area with a beautiful lake nestled in Northeast Georgia between Atlanta and Athens. Parking costs $5, or if you have an annual pass for Georgia Parks it was free. There’s ample parking by the picnic areas along with permanent restroom facilities that boasted showers. No portajons and cold water hose offs – Bonus!
The Race
Running along through the woods presented the challenges of negotiating the roots, rocks, and ruts normally associated with trail running, but the true tests occurred when the teams came upon the physical challenges that set this apart from an OCR.
The Mid-summer heat and humidity took its toll on bodies and brains. Racers were encouraged beforehand to wear hydration packs and some people followed the advice while others relied upon the two water stations. It should be recommended that there be more hydration provided during the race simply because of the length of time people are out there. Unless you are used to doing this kind of thing in these conditions, bring your hydration and nutrition with you.
When the racers finally approached the finish line, there was one more water crossing, and it was a nice way to end a race. Cool, cleansing water allowed the battered runners to at least feel semi-human as the medals were hung around their necks.
After the Race and Impressions.
The race had an ample amount of volunteers that were stationed in various areas to help out, but the medical and event staff has to be commended for their attention to the racers. One participant locked up from dehydration right at the end before the final water crossing and from the time the first calls were made for “Medics!” it was only about 30 seconds before he had professional assistance rush to his aid. Well done, GBC.
The post race comments from the runners were all overwhelmingly positive. Folks just knew that they’d accomplished something remarkable, and some were actually bewildered that they’d been able to dig down deep enough to come up with the strength and fortitude to finish. But the realization that you’re tougher than you thought you were can be a beautiful thing.
I highly recommend that people looking to challenge themselves physically, mentally, and even emotionally consider creating a team to participate in a Green Beret Challenge. With the right preparation and team you might just be able to accomplish something truly remarkable.
Have you tried Green Beret Challenge? Share and Rate Your Experience…