Aaron Catlin and Sarah Schreck trek to victory on the trails of the Chesty Puller Challenge

Imagine that you're running a half-marathon on the trails of Fort Benning, Georgia--13.1 miles through the pine barrens, in and out of deep ravines carved by creeks eager to join the Chattahoochee River, stumbling over rocks and tree roots. You no longer know which mile you're on, or which hill you're climbing. When you crest the slope, you're abruptly confronted with the shade of Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller, United States Marine Corps. Would he speak? What would he say to you as you passed by?


"Run faster. You'll hurt more, but you won't hurt as long."


Or something like that. Chesty Puller was a Marine's Marine, starting off as a private and, after surviving battles with many deadly enemies, rising to become a three-star general. Which is why Fort Benning's 13.1-mile trail race is called the Chesty Puller Challenge.


Aaron Catlin won the long race for the second year in a row, finishing close to half a kilometer ahead of the next runner. Sarah Schreck was the first woman in the half marathon, placing fourteenth overall in 1:48:51. Four months earlier Schreck had won the women's title in the Soldier Half-Marathon in nearby Columbus, Georgia. On the paved course of the Soldier Half-Marathon she went 1:28:28. On Benning's rugged trails, she ran over twenty minutes slower. That's how tough the Chesty Puller Challenge is.


Catlin's winning time was almost five minutes faster than the 1:35:41 he has posted in the 2018 Chesty Puller Challenge. Connor Roche, the 2019 runner-up, also bettered Catlin's 2018 time, running 1:32:53. Frank Phillips followed Roche across the finish line, taking third in 1:35:56.


Alicia Tenbrink was second in the women's standing, placing 61st overall in 2:10:42. Erika Kitson was the third woman and 83rd overall in 2:15:15.


168 athletes had the persistence to finish the 2019 Chesty Puller Challenge Half-Marathon Trail Race. Event Technical Services, Inc., of Sylvester, Georgia timed and scored the event.


Top Ten Men, 2019 Chesty Puller Challenge Half-Marathon Trail Race

1. 1:30:45, Aaron Catlin (M, 18-29)
2. 1:32:53, Connor Roche (M, 18-29)
3. 1:35:56, Frank Phillips (M, 30-39)
4. 1:41:57, Nicholas O'Brien (M, 30-39)
5. 1:42:32, Justin Kline (M, 30-39)
6. 1:42:43, Colin Feild (M, 18-29)
7. 1:42:51, Collin Jones (M, 30-39)
8. 1:43:09, Daniel Prince (M, 30-39)
9. 1:43:22, Reaven Lantz (M, 18-29)
10. 1:44:53, Nick Causey (M, 18-29)

Top Ten Women, 2019 Chesty Puller Challenge Half-Marathon Trail Race

1. 1:48:51, Sarah Schreck (F, 18-29)
2. 2:10:42, Alicia Tenbrink (F, 30-39)
3. 2:15:15, Erika Kitson (F, 30-39)
4. 2:21:13, Victoria Currens (F, 18-29)
5. 2:21:54, Elizabeth Beck (F, 18-29)
6. 2:22:50, Shawna Thornton (F, 30-39)
7. 2:24:19, Lindsay Hapney (F, 30-39)
8. 2:27:13, Irene Zepeda (F, 30-39)
9. 2:29:01, Megan Hale (F, 18-29)
10. 2:30:07, Sandy Ewers (F, 40-49)

Chesty Puller Challenge Half-Marathon Trail Race winners, 2012 - 2019
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
5 May 2012
6 April 2013	1:41:48, Anthony Thompson	2:09:51, Kristin Thompson	84
15 March 2014	1:28:24, Tim Nelson	2:15:32, Amanda Oldaker	200
14 March 2015	1:38:24, Mark Gaudet	2:09:26, Jenn Gaddy	149
7 March 2016	1:39:47, James Miller	1:54:46, Theresa Edwards	172
4 March 2017	1:29:53, Robert Killian	2:02:50, Erin Divinski	203
17 March 2018	1:35:41, Aaron Catlin	1:55:17, Jacqueline Head	189
16 March 2019	1:30:45, Aaron Catlin	1:48:51, Sarah Schreck	168

Links

• Complete results of the 2019 Chesty Puller Challenge Half-Marathon Trail Race
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQw54uCatd7vGzEh-PRxuel3RSiYpA3Jq1X1LiJVsc0Gx97lL9RzGlII3t8YzEylKUye7hKBmyH3uyk/pubhtml
  
  
• 2018 story, “Aaron Catlin and Jacqueline Head rise to the Chesty Puller Challenge”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/03/chesty-puller-2018.html
  
  
• Find future trail runs in the Tallahassee region on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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Aaron Catlin and Jacqueline Head rise to the Chesty Puller Challenge

Describing the annual half-marathon trail race, the Chesty Puller Challenge, Fort Benning, Georgia's Morale, Welfare, and Recreation program writes, "The Chesty Puller 13.1 Mile Half Marathon is not for the faint hearted; the trail is routed deep into the woods near Kelley Hill."


"Not for the faint hearted," indeed. You can see some of the course from US 27 on the drive to Columbus, Georgia. The ravines and pine barrens do not look inviting. But you knew it had to be tough when they named it after Chesty Puller.


It's astonishing that Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller didn't die young. Over the years, many folks tried to help him find his way to an early grave as he fought guerrillas in Haiti and Nicaragua, the Japanese in World War II, and the North Koreans and Chinese during the Korean Conflict. None of them had the bullet or bayonet with Puller's name on it. Instead, Puller rose from Private to Lieutenant General during 37 years in the United States Marine Corps while becoming the most decorated Marine in American history.


Neverthless, 189 athletes successfully met the Chesty Puller Challenge on Saturday morning, 17 March 2018. The fastest in the field was Aaron Catlin, who finished the 13.1 miles in 1:35:41, more than three-quarters of a mile ahead of the next runner. Jacqueline Head, an alumna of the United States Military Academy cross-country team, was the women's champ, placing fifteenth overall in 1:55:17.


Catlin, the race-winner, has run the Army Ten-Miler four times since 2011, most recently placing 60th in the 2017 race with a 57:52. Ten miles on the streets of the District of Columbia is an entirely different critter than thirteen-plus miles through the jungles of Fort Benning, but Catlin excelled in both venues. Christopher Fedorchenko was runner-up to Catlin in the Chesty Puller Challenge, clocking 1:41:50 on the trails. Less than 100 meters behind Fedorchenko, Michael Rose took third in 1:42:16. Matthew Deloia was the top master runner in the Challenge, placing ninth overall in 1:50:29.


Jodie Villegas was second in the women's standings and 34th overall in 2:03:20. Katerine Seyward was the top woman master and third female finisher, 44th overall in 2:09:49.


I couldn't say whether or not, on the trail, the athletes urged one another to do one more mile for Chesty. But I'd like to think they did.


Event Technical Services, Inc., of Sylvester, Georgia timed and scored the 2018 Chesty Puller Challenge Half-Marathon Trail Race.


Top Ten Men, 2018 Chesty Puller Challenge Half-Marathon Trail Race

1. 1:35:41, Aaron Catlin (M, 28)
2. 1:41:50, Christopher Fedorchenko (M, 27)
3. 1:42:16, Michael Rose (M, 27)
4. 1:42:54, Daniel Jester (M, 27)
5. 1:45:53, Matthew Slocum (M, 26)
6. 1:46:34, Jan Wolfisberg (M, 22)
7. 1:49:44, Edward Tillinghast (M, 25)
8. 1:50:13, Jake Lunsford (M, 33)
9. 1:50:29, Matthew Deloia (M, 40)
10. 1:51:11, Austin Peterson (M, 24)

Top Ten Women, 2018 Chesty Puller Challenge Half-Marathon Trail Race

1. 1:55:17, Jacqueline Head (F, 18)
2. 2:03:20, Jodie Villegas (F, 25)
3. 2:09:49, Katerine Seywerd (F, 41)
4. 2:12:55, Erika Kitson (F, 37)
5. 2:14:22, April Gellatly (F, 36)
6. 2:15:37, Nicole Bladow (F, 28)
7. 2:16:56, Ariela Mansilla (F, 31)
8. 2:21:47, Fabienne Nawara (F, 30)
9. 2:24:16, Marissa Zarrelli (F, 25)
10. 2:24:21, Samantha Bartush (F, 21)

Chesty Puller Half-Marathon Trail Race winners, 2012 - 2018
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
5 May 2012
6 April 2013	1:41:48, Anthony Thompson	2:09:51, Kristin Thompson	84
15 March 2014	1:28:24, Tim Nelson	2:15:32, Amanda Oldaker	200
14 March 2015	1:38:24, Mark Gaudet	2:09:26, Jenn Gaddy	149
7 March 2016	1:39:47, James Miller	1:54:46, Theresa Edwards	172
4 March 2017	1:29:53, Robert Killian	2:02:50, Erin Divinski	203
17 March 2018	1:35:41, Aaron Catlin	1:55:17, Jacqueline Head	189

Links

• Complete results of the 2018 Chesty Puller Challenge Half-Marathon Trail Race
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRGZ0Ofzu9O6xSvVXcJFureRJ9YTzcgFwgSR4d1DrJWB7sLFdJ2OXoU2dEM57phF5Dix5ETrUhEz8uE/pubhtml
  
  
• Find future trail runs in the Tallahassee region on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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