Bataan Memorial Death March Race Report (2010)

It's Considered One of the Toughest Marathons:

• "It is at a high altitude. It has a lot of hilly desert terrain. There are winds to contend with and you have to look out for snakes and spiders. And there is a sand pit at mile 21. It's physically tough and intense. It is not a marathon for a personal best."

This race has been on my race “bucket list” for years, but something has always come up. I finally committed to doing it and it was easily the most unique marathon I’ve ever done (4:52 finish, but it put in the 85th percentile in my category). It’s a trail marathon in the foothills of the Sacramento Mountains in Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico. Description from the race website:

• "The Bataan Memorial Death March is a challenging march through the high desert terrain of White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, conducted in honor of the heroic service members who defended the Philippine Islands during World War II, sacrificing their freedom, health and, in many cases, their very lives."

There are several unique features of this event: All of the race activities are held on the 3,200 square mile military installation. The closest towns are at least an hour drive away, so the base allows people to sleep on cots in the gym or camp outside. The guests of honor are survivors of Bataan, and considering the real death march took place in 1942, these men are getting old and fewer can attend. There are no age group or gender divisions; only categories of “Civilian Light” or “Heavy” (35lb pack) and “Military Light” or “Heavy” wearing service uniforms and military-recognized boots . . . and a 35lb pack. The median finish time for the 26.2 – across all categories – is in the 8hr range. There are no finisher medals, but you do get a sweet dog tag with your packet.

The race was was hard to get to. The nearest airport is in El Paso, 100 miles away. So for y'all flying in, it will take a connecting flight (or two), renting a car and a few night's hotel. I drove and it was a 1,400 mile drive. Granted, I took detours to a couple of National Parks. The race was well-organized, but then I would expect the military to be able to handle the logistics of a large group and it was voted Runner Up for "Most Organized" in Runner's World Magazine. The schwag was typical: timing chip, race bib, and t-shirt. At dawn, there is a sunrise mountain range ceremony to start the marathon. There is a roll call of all the veterans who were alive and at the marathon the year before. From that roll call you can see how many of those veterans have passed away. There were over 5,000 participants in both the 26.2 and 15 mile distances. The course was really, really hard: as noted in the image below, there is a ton of climbing and the ascents go on for miles. Not meters. Miles. 4, 5 and 6 miles straight with a grinding 3%-5% grade. "Am I ever getting to the top?"

What made the climbs harder was you were always making a turn around a hill or mountain so you couldn't really tell how much more you had to go. Because of the remoteness of the course, there are very few spectators, so you're alone much of the time. The weather was fantastic. It won't rain. It's the desert. It will be cold in the AM and warm up nicely by mid-day. They fed you well, too, with a pre-race pasta dinner and post-race burgers and brats with a tub of beer. I'd totally do it again . . . if it wasn't a three-day minimum committment.

Phillip Coon, a Bataan survivor I met. He spent 4 and a half years as a POW.