Volkslauf 2008
By: Dick Taylor
Topics: Volkslauf, mud run, toys for tots, fundraiser, fitness, race, marines
Posted by rdtusmc Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:12:10 PDT
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The twelfth annual Volkslauf Mud Run was held Saturday October 11th near the Kern County Sheriff’s Facility off of Lerdo Highway. This is the tenth year this location hosted the race, with its miles of trails, obstacles, millions of gallons of water, and mud.
Over 3,000 runners and an estimated 6,000 spectators swarmed over the grounds on a morning where low temperatures hovered in the mid 40s at daybreak. High temps for the day rose to a cool 65 degrees with clear skies & a light breeze. Those are generally great conditions for running, but when you add the fact that these runners were soaking wet, the physical and mental challenges are magnified by the cold to the point where your brain is trying to convince you to give up.
The Volkslauf began in 1997 near the town of Arvin, as a fundraiser for the Kern County Toys for Tots program, and two years later moved to the larger facility off of Lerdo Highway that is used today. Race Director Glen Pruett along with a dedicated group of people on the Volkslauf Committee spend the entire year planning and coordinating the logistics and hard work involved in pulling off a successful event of this magnitude.
“Our guest of honor this year was Marine Corporal Evan Morgan, who lost both legs during combat operations in Iraq”, stated Pruett. “The man completed the race and is the most inspiring and positive individual I have ever had the honor of knowing”.
The race has gained national attention with some Marine Corps publications touting it as the best race of its kind in the nation. With over 75 Marine Corps-inspired obstacles on the course and both 5 and 10 kilometer versions, the event draws runners from California, Nevada, and Arizona. There is even a website you can visit at www.volkslauf.com .
Many organizations and individuals played a role in the success of the 2008 Volkslauf. Pruett added, “We’re grateful for the assistance provided by the Kern County Fire Department, and I’m confident that this year’s race wouldn’t have been as good without them”. And with ominous obstacle names like Happy Valley, Stairway to Heaven, Devil Dog’s Ditch, Tenaru River Crossing, and possibly the mother of all obstacles, The Wall, successful completion of this race is another reason it has become known as “The Ultimate Challenge”.
In the pre-dawn hours of the day of the Volkslauf, this writer was introduced to Marine Cpl. Evan Morgan, his family, as well as his buddy, Marine Sgt. Travis Harless. If you’ve never had the pleasure of meeting them, both Travis and Evan are strapping young men who have answered the call to arms for our nation to wade into the precipice of combat. Both of these fine men returned with honor. Evan came back minus both legs and was fitted with prosthetics.
My wife Cheryl thanked Evan for his service in the course of shaking his hand. His response was something like, “Hey, thank Sgt. Harless here, he actually did something over there (in Iraq). All I did was get blown up”.
Wow. About four hours later as I was working at “The Wall” obstacle as a motivator, here come Travis and Evan. Evan greeted me by name as he navigated his way over The Wall and then ran on the finish the race. Are all of his days a walk in the park? Do traffic lights simply turn green for him as he approaches? Unlikely. He exudes a positive attitude about life; exemplifies what is right with this country and inspires those around him to never give up and to keep our chins up when life throws us a curveball.
Little things people do in life are very telling of one’s character; what they say, what they do, and their demeanor. I, for one, am proud to count myself as one of Cpl Evan Morgan’s friends, and to have been exposed to his contagious drive to do our best, no matter what.
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