Airman completes 50-mile endurance run

  • Published
  • By Maj. Javier Delucca
  • 570th Global Mobility Squadron
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  April 1 was a day that one Travis Airman will never forget. 

In addition to pinning on technical sergeant, Tech. Sgt. Scott Beasley, 570th Global Mobility Squadron KC-10 boom operator, completed the physically and mentally challenging American River 50-Mile Endurance Run in 10 hours and 28 minutes. 

The AR50, a 50-mile endurance run that begins in Sacramento, Calif., follows both paved and unpaved trails along the American River, Lake Natomas, Folsom Lake and ends in Auburn, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. 

Sergeant Beasley said the first half was on paved roads, but the second half was on trails and single-lane roads. 

The mission of the American River 50-Mile Endurance Run is to promote long-distance running, outdoor activities and healthy living. It also provides an opportunity for athletes to test their limits in a controlled and supportive environment. 

“The last five miles was uphill from the river, which was pretty tough,” said Sergeant Beasley. “Also, the last 25 miles I had to navigate through a lot of mud and at one point had to stop just to empty my shoe of the mud.” 

Sergeant Beasley is no stranger to long-distance running. A long-distance runner in both high school and college, his running resumé includes five marathons and a Bataan Memorial Death March, which is a 26.2-mile memorial march that honors the soldiers who defended the islands of Luzon, Corregidor and the harbor defense forts of the Philippines during World War II. 

“The longest race I had done before this was a marathon,” said Sergeant Beasley of why he chose to compete. “The lure of a 100-miler was out there, but I thought I should try a 50-miler first.” 

He began training for the AR50 back in September 2005 and in the past six months logged more than 1,000 miles training for the run. His training regimen required him to run five days per week and included 14 training runs of more than 18 miles, including a marathon [26.2 miles] before work. 

“The time commitment was extensive,” said Sergeant Beasley. 

To meet this demanding training regimen, he routinely started his runs between 3 and 4 a.m. to complete his training by 7 a.m. 

He will be the first to admit that he had help from his training partner, Master Sgt. Jarrod Sebastian, 570th GMS. The two motivated each other during the early morning runs. As part of their training program, they completed the Napa Marathon less than one month ago under very windy and rainy conditions. 

Sergeant Beasley is a physical training leader who uses his running expertise to help his squadron members prepare for their fitness test. 

As a future fitness goal, he would like to complete a half Iron Man Triathlon [1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run] this summer and another marathon before the end of the year. 

For more information on the American River 50-Mile Endurance Run, visit www.run100s.com/AR50/.