The Bataan Memorial Death March is a marathon like no other.  It is more of a living memorial than a race which honors the brave soldiers who fought to defend the Philippine Islands during World War II.

“The conditions they encountered and the aftermath of the battle were unique. They fought in a malaria-infested region, surviving on half or quarter rations with little or no medical help. They fought with outdated equipment and virtually no air power.

On April 9, 1942, tens of thousands of American and Filipino soldiers were surrendered to Japanese forces… They were marched for days in the scorching heat through the Philippine jungles. Thousands died. Those who survived faced the hardships of a prisoner of war camp. Others were wounded or killed when unmarked enemy ships transporting prisoners of war to Japan were sunk by U.S. air and naval forces.” — www.bataanmarch.com.

On March 21, 2010 my brother Mike and I are going to New Mexico to take on Bataan.  This all started when my brother (who has completed two marches), after looking at the previous years results, innocently said to me “I think I’d like to do another one.”  Since I had already been running in preparation for running in Boston by 2012, I said “Let’s do it!”

I should repeat, Bataan is a marathon like no other.  One of the biggest difference is the optional “heavy  division”.  People competing in the heavy division are required to carry a 35 pound pack the entire way.  “The entire way” includes desert sand, high heat and a small mountain.  With elevation ranging from 4,100 to 5,300 feet and temperatures reaching into the 80’s, it’s not a walk in the park.  Nearly half of the participants are active duty military who also have to complete the march in uniform.  Civilians have more freedom in what they wear, but the terrain certainly will play a major factor in selecting attire.

We have decided to go with the heavy division (go big or go home, right?).  Over the next year I’ll be keeping you posted on the many, many miles leading up to Bataan.  Maybe I’ll post some audio and video?

Next race:  Azalea 10k right here in Tyler on March 28.  It was actually mentioned in the March issue of Runner’s World (page 105)!  This will be my second 10k (first was back in August) and I am hoping to shatter my current PR by about 10 minutes.  I certainly have a flexible enough schedule to get in the necessary training .   Now I’ve just got to go get it done!