The MU NROTC Adventure Race Team

Like a marathon, triathlon, or iron man, an NROTC endurance race is an intense test of physical and mental endurance for any seasoned athlete who seeks to not just complete the race, but prove himself in the vast fifteen mile arena. However, unlike more familiar races, an endurance run tests not only fortitude, but ones ability to prepare and handle the unexpected or various and unique challenges along the way. This is the mission of the Mizzou NROTC Endurance Team. The team consists of athletes from different backgrounds ranging from football to cross-country. Consisting of four people clad in combat boots, camo bottoms, and school shirts, the teams can face a series of challenges expected or unexpected that examine their ability to work together and overcome stressful obstacles. Examples from previous races are as follows:

  • 200 pull-ups (completed by the entire team)
  • 60 fire team pushups
  • 1500 yard swim
  • 25 buddy push-ups
  • Buddy bear crawls
  • Flutter kicks
  • Run up 80 stories
  • Carry a single 35 lb pack on the team
  • Memory games
  • Stretcher carries
  • Log PT
  • Fire Team Carry
  • Rope Climb
  • Etc
Endurance Runs are not just competitions to determine who the best is or who is unable to cut it. Instead, they are valuable learning opportunities for Midshipmen, OC’s, and MECEP’s interested in competing on behalf of their units. Learning to work as a team is something best learned under stress and when individuals are tested. In four hours, a team must evaluate each others individual strengths and determine how to best utilize each other. Cross-Country runners might be best at climbing flights of stairs and carrying a heavy pack during the run, but a football player might carry a stretcher or human better. Knowing your people allows you to delegate the proper authority or activity to them in order to make the team more efficient. Ultimately, the race is a mind game. The team spends most of the race on its own and it’s up to each member to motivate the others and stay motivated individually in order to pull through. For those who know how to overcome pain, stay motivated, and who know that it pays to be a winner, then the endurance team is a place that feels like home.