The Volunteer - NWRFCA - Northwest Reserve Forces & Cadets ...

MANCHESTER AND SALFORD UNIVERSITY
OTC
Commando
Speed March
JUO TOOTH
Do you want to go for a brisk walk
in the Scottish countryside?
Carry a small amount of water in
your backpack? Get a nice T-shirt that’s
either too big or too small for you because
the organiser forgot everyone’s sizes
and bought generic medium? If you’ve
answered yes to any of these, you need
to do the Commando Speed March! An
event of ultimate hardship, pain beyond
measure and mind-numbing endurance.
For those of you who have not
heard about this legendary event, the
Commando Speed March is a 6.9 mile run
carrying a 36.6lb Bergen over undulating
terrain in the Scottish Highlands, near
Fort William. The event was originally
conceived as the initial test for potential
Commandos during the Second World
War. They would take a train up to Spean
Bridge and once at the station they would
get off the train and have to run the entire
distance, with their luggage, to Achnacarry
Castle in 60 minutes. Nowadays, the race
is run as a charity event.
Arriving at Spean Bridge on the
Saturday morning, I was unsurprised to
see that most of the participants were
of the Para or Marine variety, with a few
Gurkhas thrown in too. Standing just
before the bridge, I surveyed the first
hill and thought it didn’t look too bad.
OCdt Beaney then turned me around to
the actual hill we’d be going up that was
significantly better endowed than the
others and represented the first mile.
At 10.55 the PTIs assembled us just
past the bridge, at the top of a slight dip
that lead into the hill. A PTI held out the
clock and screamed “30 seconds!” Looking
around I was reminded of the famous
beach landing scene in Saving Private
Ryan although the iPods, lack of sea spray
and vomit and the smell of deep heat and
Lucozade brought me back to reality. “Go!”
A massive cry of manliness and confusion
went up from the group of 150 keen
runners, as we embarked on a journey that
would make us a Band of Brothers.
The first mile is awful. A constant
uphill run, your legs are soon drained of
all energy by the time you reach the top
I surveyed
the first
hill and
thought
it didn’t
look too
bad. OCdt
Beaney
then
turned me
around to
the actual
hill we’d be
going up.
(10 minutes for me) and believe me all
you want to do is stop and walk, but
you know if you stop, you will never
get under the 1 hour mark. You need
to be physically fit, but the first hill is
all about testing your determination
and mental strength. It is amazing to
think the men used to do this in the
1940’s with none of the modern day
advantages - no gyms to train in, no
protein shakes to bulk up, no zinc oxide
tape for feet - just their determination
to fight for their country, in one of the
most legendary units of the Second
World War.
At the top of the hill is the
Commando Memorial, signifying
the end of the first mile, thinking
that I had to run another 5.9 miles
was massively demoralising, I had
nothing left in my legs, but you keep
throwing them forward. The next half
mile is undulating, JUO Roughton
joined me for this part until a certain
corner where he cut in front of me and
disrupted my stride, slowing me. I bear
no grudge against him for this, he’s just
a Jarhead.
The next mile is pure downhill,
and rather steep, you recover some
strength but never enough - the only
thing that kept me going was if I kept
running I would finish under the hour.
The half-way point is a bridge, with a
slight uphill after and then back into
the mainly flat terrain running beside
the river - and this part lasts forever,
corner after corner, the track just keeps
on going. Eventually I passed two older
Commandos (who looked as if they had
served at Waterloo) who informed me
that I was about to reach the estate and
I only had about a mile to go, result, but
I was on 57 minutes and thought it was
a Bridge Too Far.
I did not give up, I was determined
to finish with the best time possible,
and from somewhere mustered my
last reserve to power up the final hill
then down the last hill, I could see the
vehicles, so close, my heart racing, my
lungs pushing against my chest as if it
were a Full Metal Jacket, so close, just
a little more, 150m, come on, one final
sprint and through the gate. I’d finally
finished, it felt like the Longest Day, but
I was in, with a time of 64 minutes. At
first I was massively disappointed, but
seeing the people come in after you,
Paras and Commandos who do this for
a living, you feel slightly better. I saw
OCdts Maxted, Harbord and Whamond,
sitting on their bergens, looking like
Three Kings, drinking the 17p water we
had bought from Asda the day before
and had carried to make up the weight
in our packs. A few minutes later the
whole team was in with the following
times:
SUO Berry - 70 minutes
OCdt Lau - 70 minutes
JUO Bagley - 67 minutes
OCdt Bramah - 66 minutes
JUO Tooth - 64 minutes.
JUO Roughton - 60 minutes
OCdt Harbord - 59 minutes
OCdt Beaney - 57 minutes
JUO Whamond - 55 minutes
JUO Bloor - 53 minutes
OCdt Maxted - 53 minutes
With the main event over, we headed
back to the memorial for a group
photo and a look around. The view and
scenery is breath taking, absolutely
magnificent; you don’t get the chance
to look around when you are running.
We also took some time walking
around the side memorial, which is
dedicated to soldiers both past and
present who have given their lives in
conflicts since 1939 - it is quite moving.
Afterwards we had a lovely walk in
the town of Fort William, spending
most of our time in ‘Rods and Guns’
and contemplating whether to buy the
Brown Bess musket or a double-headed
battle-axe. The courtesy meal at the
Imperial Hotel was delicious and with
the prize giving we came 5th out of 17
teams - a fantastic effort from everyone
who ran.
If you have a chance to do this next
year, I suggest you start training NOW,
because we are going to win it!
www.nwrfca.org.uk THE VOLUNTEER 53