Are You Tough Enough? | The JFK 50 Miler

Did you know the nation's oldest and largest continuously held ultramarathon was launched as a national challenge by President John F. Kennedy? On today's podcast, we are fortunate enough to have Mike Spinnler as our guest and SWCS's very own Command Sergeant Major, Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Strong.

It is the only remaining 50-mile event of several held around the country as part of President John F. Kennedy’s push to bring the country back to physical fitness. After the Kennedy assassination, many of these events were never held again, but the JFK 50 lived on.

About the guests:

The JFK 50 was founded in 1963 by William Joseph “Buzz” Sawyer Jr. (1928-2019). In 1993, he passed the duties of directing the race to Mike Spinnler, who had well-earned his position. Spinnler had participated in the race from 1971 (when he was 12 years old) until 1990 and won in 1982 and 1983.

Command Sergeant Major Lionel A. Strong is a native of Fort Myers, Florida, and enlisted in the United States Army on July 9, 1998, as a 63B Light-Wheel Vehicle Mechanic. Upon completing Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training, Command Sgt. Maj. Strong was assigned to Schofield Barracks Hawaii from December 1998 through March 2001. Command Sgt. Maj. Strong attended Special Forces Assessment and Selection in September 2000 and the Special Forces Qualification Course from June 2001 through December 2002.

Sergeant First Class Anthony “Tony” Camps is our bonus guest. He has served in multiple Special Forces Groups, as well as within the Special Operations Aviation Regiment and the Special Warfare Center & School. He is a champion of the JFK 50, having competed and completed the event.

About the hosts:

Maj. Ashley "Ash" Holzmann is an experienced Psychological Operations Officer serving in the re-established PSYWAR School at the United States Army JFK Special Warfare Center and School.

Sgt. Maj. Derek Riley is one of the most experienced Civil Affairs Non-commissioned Officers in the Army Special Operations Regiment. He has incredible deployment experience and serves within the Civil Affairs Proponent at the United States Army JFK Special Warfare Center and School.

From the episode:

Although open to the public, the JFK 50 Mile is, in spirit, a military race. The initial inspiration behind the event came from then President John F. Kennedy challenging his military officers to meet the requirements that Teddy Roosevelt had set for his military officers at the dawn of the 20th Century. Roosevelt's requirement was for all military officers to be able to cover 50 miles on foot in 20 hours to maintain their commissions. When word got out about the “Kennedy Challenge,” non-commissioned military personnel also wanted to take the test themselves, as did certain robust members of the civilian population.

Of the many awards presented at the JFK 50 Mile each year, the most prestigious is the Kennedy Cup, awarded to the top-finishing military team. Each military team can have a maximum of 10 participants, and the finishing times from the top five finishers are combined for the team time.

Mike Spinnler is a national treasure and has been at the forefront of distance running for most of his life. To read more about him, visit the following websites and articles:

https://www.outsideonline.com/%22https:/www.outsideonline.com/running/racing/races/jfk-50-ultra-legacy/

Mike has done many other interviews over the years. To include this interview on the official JFK 50 website:

https://www.jfk50mile.org/meaning/mike-spinnler/

Hayden Hawks (5:18:40) for men and Sarah Biehl (6:05:42) for women hold the current course records.

To register for the race, go here:

https://www.jfk50mile.org/details/registration/

Army Special Operations Recruiting:

SOF Recruiting Page (soc.mil)

https://www.soc.mil/USASOCHQ/recruiting.html

GoArmySOF Site:

https://www.goarmysof.army.mil/

The Official Podcast of the United States Army Special Warfare Center and School!

USAJFKSWCS selects and trains all Army Special Forces, Civil Affairs, and Psychological Operations soldiers. 

Please visit our website at: https://www.swcs.mil

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