thedrifter
11-02-07, 02:37 PM
Thursday, November 1, 2007
U.S. Marines capture Challenge Cup from Royal Marine runners
Sgt. Jennifer Brown
MCB Quantico
ARLINGTON, Va. -- For the first time in a decade, the coveted Challenge Cup will stay on American soil.
Both the men and women’s U.S. Marine Corps teams defeated their British counterparts at the 32nd Marine Corps Marathon’s Challenge Cup competition Sunday.
British Royal Marines⁄Navy male and female teams announced their defeat as they passed their cups to the U.S. Marine Corps men and women’s teams during the marathon’s official awards ceremony.
The winners were determined by the top-four male and top-two female finishers on each teams. This is the first year two cups, one for each gender, were awarded. In the past, the one cup went to country with the winning men’s team.
Staff Sgt. Jeremy Brown was the top runner for the males, crossing the line at 2:32:22. Capt. Jennifer Ledford was the first finisher for the U.S. Marine Corps’ women team, coming in at 2:59:38.
The U.S. Marine Corps teams said their victory was a direct result of calculated changes they made to their training strategies.
‘‘The key to winning this year’s race was that we had a very detailed plan for each other,” Ledford said. ‘‘We all helped each other using our strategy to fall back to stack the front and beat the British.”
British Royal Navy Petty Officer Heidi Winn said the Brits started hamstrung.
‘‘We’ve lost a couple of our top team members this year,” Winn said. ‘‘One is at sea and the other is injured.”
The Brits said it was good for the morale of the competition that the U.S. Marine Corps took the cup.
‘‘We have a good competitive relationship with the U.S. Marine team,” Winn said. ‘‘They had a good strategy and were quite competitive, so we are glad they won this year.”
The U.S. Marine Corps teams plan to continue training to improve so they can win again next year’s competition.
‘‘Our team is very excited now that we got the cup,” Ledford said. ‘‘We’re going to try to keep it.”
The Brits said, considering this year’s circumstances, they weren’t too disheartened by the loss, rather they will focus now on getting ready and for next year’s competition.
‘‘It’s just one of those things,” said Lt. Richard Wild, a Royal Navy officer. ‘‘Next year we’ll have to try to come back and beat them.”
Another competition was underway during the marathon against members of the U.S. Armed Forces. The Armed Forces Competition was incorporated a decade ago, in which teams from the Marine Corps, Navy, Army and Air Force formed and competed for best finish times. The Air Force, who won last year, was again announced the victors during the official awards ceremony, making them six time winners since 1998.
Ellie
U.S. Marines capture Challenge Cup from Royal Marine runners
Sgt. Jennifer Brown
MCB Quantico
ARLINGTON, Va. -- For the first time in a decade, the coveted Challenge Cup will stay on American soil.
Both the men and women’s U.S. Marine Corps teams defeated their British counterparts at the 32nd Marine Corps Marathon’s Challenge Cup competition Sunday.
British Royal Marines⁄Navy male and female teams announced their defeat as they passed their cups to the U.S. Marine Corps men and women’s teams during the marathon’s official awards ceremony.
The winners were determined by the top-four male and top-two female finishers on each teams. This is the first year two cups, one for each gender, were awarded. In the past, the one cup went to country with the winning men’s team.
Staff Sgt. Jeremy Brown was the top runner for the males, crossing the line at 2:32:22. Capt. Jennifer Ledford was the first finisher for the U.S. Marine Corps’ women team, coming in at 2:59:38.
The U.S. Marine Corps teams said their victory was a direct result of calculated changes they made to their training strategies.
‘‘The key to winning this year’s race was that we had a very detailed plan for each other,” Ledford said. ‘‘We all helped each other using our strategy to fall back to stack the front and beat the British.”
British Royal Navy Petty Officer Heidi Winn said the Brits started hamstrung.
‘‘We’ve lost a couple of our top team members this year,” Winn said. ‘‘One is at sea and the other is injured.”
The Brits said it was good for the morale of the competition that the U.S. Marine Corps took the cup.
‘‘We have a good competitive relationship with the U.S. Marine team,” Winn said. ‘‘They had a good strategy and were quite competitive, so we are glad they won this year.”
The U.S. Marine Corps teams plan to continue training to improve so they can win again next year’s competition.
‘‘Our team is very excited now that we got the cup,” Ledford said. ‘‘We’re going to try to keep it.”
The Brits said, considering this year’s circumstances, they weren’t too disheartened by the loss, rather they will focus now on getting ready and for next year’s competition.
‘‘It’s just one of those things,” said Lt. Richard Wild, a Royal Navy officer. ‘‘Next year we’ll have to try to come back and beat them.”
Another competition was underway during the marathon against members of the U.S. Armed Forces. The Armed Forces Competition was incorporated a decade ago, in which teams from the Marine Corps, Navy, Army and Air Force formed and competed for best finish times. The Air Force, who won last year, was again announced the victors during the official awards ceremony, making them six time winners since 1998.
Ellie