It was a day to reflect. It was a day to mourn. Yet, it was also a day for pushing physical boundaries and enjoying the camaraderie and energy generated by dedicated participants striving for a personal fitness goal.
Hosted by the Army West Point Cadet Marathon team on March 17, the 2024 Fallen Comrades Half Marathon at West Point saw approximately 700 participants conquer a challenging 13.1-mile course in remembrance of 13 fallen West Point graduates.
The annual event, now in its eighth year, featured a combination of run and ruck divisions, along with a one-mile Kids Run, aiming to promote physical fitness while commemorating those West Point graduates who made the ultimate sacrifice during Vietnam or the Global War on Terrorism. At each mile marker along the route, stood easels bearing poignant descriptions of the fallen graduates, underscoring the solemn purpose of the event.
Before the start of the race, retired Col. Jeanette McMahon, a member of the USMA Class of 1983 and a Gold Star widow to her late husband, Lt. Col. Michael McMahon from the USMA Class of 1985 and a 2024 half marathon honoree, delivered an inspiring opening message to the runners before the start of the race.
“We were honored by the presence of family members and friends of all the 2024 fallen honorees,” said Col. Brandon Thompson, Fallen Comrades Half Marathon officer in charge.
The graduates who were honored were McMahon, Hailey Hodsden (USMA Class of 2021), Sean Jacobs (USMA Class of 2010), William Little (USMA Class of 1968), Michael Nathe (USMA Class of 1967), Robert Seidel III (USMA Class of 2004), Andrew Pedersen-Keel (USMA Class of 2006), Douglas A. DiCenzo (USMA Class of 1999), Douglas Gray III (USMA Class of 1967), Ian Weikel (USMA Class of 1997), John Kelly (USMA Class of 1967), James Walton (USMA Class of 1989), and Francis Galligan Jr. (USMA Class of 1966).
Joining the West Point cadets in participating in the run or ruck were cadets from the Royal Military College of Canada, Army ROTC cadets from Siena College, Lehigh University, Lafayette College, Penn State University, Rutgers University, the University of Albany and members of the West Point community and surrounding area.
“Overall, the 2024 Fallen Comrades Run provided a great opportunity for the greater West Point community to run and ruck march to remember the sacrifice made by so many of our service members,” Thompson said.
During the run, the top three finishers were Army Marathon team members (with their run times): Class of 2027 Cadet Jack Mantell (1:18:38), Class of 2026 Cadet Matthew Buck (1:19:13) and Class of 2026 Cadet Mark Amori (1:19:43).
“It was absolutely amazing (to finish first),” Mantell explained. “I started the race intending to go for the win, but I would have had no shot at running as fast as I did if Matt (Buck) hadn’t pushed the pace from the beginning. That is what this sport is all about – using your good days to push others to succeed and he pulled us all along.
“It’s great to share this sport that we’re so passionate about with the rest of the Corps, too, as we had a few cadets not too far behind,” he added.
Buck and Amori felt it was fantastic and special, respectively, to finish second and third in the run.
“We didn’t know what to expect going into the race but as soon as it started, we knew it was going to be a special day,” Buck replied. “We were all focused … I personally think it was one of the best races that we’ve had since I’ve been on the team. I was really excited that I was able to help take control and lead the way for the guys.
“As exciting as the performance was on the course, there was plenty of work done behind the scenes by our teammates and OICs who didn’t race today,” Buck said about Thompson, Lt. Col. Shoshannah Lane, Class of 2024 Cadet Daniel Etzel and Class of 2026 Cadet Michael Clay to name a few. “They helped organize the event, without them we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do this.”
Amori said he was nervous to see his teammates take off at the pace they did to start the race, and then was “even more amazed to see other cadets and runners sticking with them.”
“I definitely would not have done as well as I did if I wasn’t chasing them the whole time, which is what competitive clubs should be all about,” Amori exclaimed.
Each of the marathon cadets gave their thoughts on how important the run was for them with respect to honoring the 13 graduates who were commemorated throughout the run.
“The memorialization is the biggest part of the race, hands down,” Amori said. “We had a couple of family members of those we were recognizing out on the course and seeing them was an incredible reminder of the sacrifices that have been made.
“There was also the son of one of the graduates we recognized last year,” he added. “He came back to see the event again, not because he knew any of the other graduates but because he was amazed to see how many young people cared about the sacrifices people like his father have made.”
Buck believes this is more than just a race and competing against others, but about “remembering those graduates who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, which is very inspiring.”
“Running past the mile markers with posters that recognize these brave men and women reminds you that there is a larger meaning to this race and pushes you to keep going,” Buck articulated. “I’m really happy that we are not only able to hold this event for the families of the fallen graduates but also for the Corps of Cadets and the greater West Point community as a whole.”
Mantell’s journey of being at West Point and earning the win at this year’s Fallen Comrades Run did not begin through the struggle of building the miles up in his legs and lungs throughout the years, but back in 2013 at the Boston Marathon.
“One of the reasons I decided to come to West Point was because I was at the Boston Marathon in 2013, the year of the bombings,” Mantell expressed. “I saw the incredible risks and sacrifices made by first responders who ran toward the explosions instead of away. It’s another level of powerful to memorialize valor with the sport we love and find the intersection between them.
“Every time you pass a mile marker memorializing a fallen graduate, it sparks the question: How can I ever come close to the level of bravery and sacrifice that these men and women displayed,” he added. “It’s an incredibly humbling, but also motivating aspect of the race.”
Next stop for these cadet runners, especially for Mantell, is the Boston Marathon in April.
Mantell talked about this being a great way to kick off their “peak week,” which is the team’s hardest training week prior to rest and tapering off for the Boston Marathon.
“It’s a great indicator for us and our teammates of where our fitness is at,” Mantell said. “After making it up the Michie (Stony Lonesome Road) hill twice, I think it’s safe to say we can handle anything the Boston course can throw at us.”
Amori’s thoughts were that it is “scary to think we only did half the distance today.”
“It is great to see that our training has been paying off,” Amori said. “The Boston Marathon is no cakewalk, but its hills have nothing on the ones the Corps crushed today.”
Buck feels this course ranks among the most challenging they’ve run, some due to changes made after last year’s flooding that necessitated a change in the course design, consequently, challenging runners with more uphill stretches compared to the previous route last year.
“I feel more confident going into the Boston Marathon next month,” Buck stated. “The team has been working hard and I think our performance today is going to foreshadow how the rest of the team runs at Boston.”
The following are the top three winners in some of the categories at the Fallen Comrades Half Marathon:
Top three males overall: Mantell, Buck and Amori.
Top three females overall: Melissa Colby (1:34:22), Class of 2024 Cadet Lilian Richards (1:35:30) and Danielle Kays (1:37:40).
Top three male cadets (minus team members): Class of 2027 Cadet Andrew Tran (1:21:44), Class of 2026 Cadet Lewis Perkins (1:24:25) and Class of 2024 Cadet Jack Livingstone (1:24:37).
Top three female cadets: Class of 2024 Cadet Carly Woelfel (1:41:45), Cadet Jill Norbert-Bushinsky (Lehigh, 1:41:55) and Class of 2027 Cadet Emma Liesen (1:46:49).
Top three male ruck marchers: Class of 2027 Cadet Kade Riddle (2:06:28), Class of 2025 Cadet Allen Liu (2:06:53) and Class of 2027 Cadet Trent Williams (2:15:45).
Top three female ruck marchers: Class of 2027 Cadet Mercedes Rothrock (2:45:25), Brianne Connington (2:43:09) and Class of 2024 Cadet Elisabeth Ake (2:43:35).
A complete list of results to include the age group winners is posted at https://www.secondwindtiming.com/result-page/?id+282012.
For more photos of the race, please visit the West Point Flickr album at 2024 West Point Fallen Comrades Half Marathon | Flickr.