Many people’s imaginations don’t stretch to running a mile, much less a marathon, much less a marathon on an uneven trail, much less a trail marathon while wearing a 35-pound pack, much less winning such a marathon. But St. Louisan David Pokorny has a big imagination and crossed the line first Sunday in the “heavy” division of the Bataan Memorial Death March on the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
After talking to teammates and relatives who knew of the race, Pokorny said, “It sound like it would be a real challenge. That’s what I look for now. It also was a way to honor and appreciate the sacrifice of the men in World War II.”
The race honors American and Filipino soldiers who were forced to march for days through the heat of the Philippine jungles after the surrender of the islands in 1942. Thousands died. The survivors spent years in a prisoner of war camp.
More than 1,300 runners competed in all classes Sunday.
Pokorny, a member of the 180 Energy Runners, finished in 4 hours, 2 minutes, 29 seconds, faster than all but 20 of the men who completed the course WITHOUT a pack. He trained with a 30-pound pack but never ran more than 20 miles. Though he said he didn’t notice the extra weight, the final miles were tough.
“I kept telling myself to run a smart race and don’t lose focus. I thought a lot about hydration and food and monitoring what my muscles were telling me. I was watching the clock but not competitors,” he said.
He has run just “nine or 10″ marathons, he said, but is drawn to races with a special challenge. He ran the 2006 Pikes Peak Marathon, which features 13.1 miles uphill, followed by 13.1 miles downhill. Enroute to Pikes Peak, he rode his bicycle, in a 1,000-mile quest to raise awareness for PKD, polycystic kidney disease.
Pokorny said he hopes his next race will be the Double Chubb, a 50K trail run through Lone Elk Park on April 19. Because of recent flooding, though, the race could be cancelled. If it is, he’ll settle for the oh-so conventional Indianapolis Mini-Marathon, the largest half-marathon in the U.S., May 3.
His team captain, Jeff Bockhorn, also deserves a special pat on the back. Bockhorn broke his elbow in February and ran with his arm in a sling as part of a team that included: his wife, Joanne, John Brenner, Tom Richter, Lindsey Phelps and Mark Oppenheim.
“I ran with my team,” Bockhorn wrote in an e-mail. ” Our goal was to do the best that we could and a couple rules stood out. No. 1: No ONE left behind. 2. Teams stay together and 3. To finish.” The team finished fourth in the coed light (without pack) division, each within two seconds of the other.