By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
OCEAN CITY – The Memorial Beach Challenge is more than a Navy SEAL-inspired obstacle course designed for fun and fitness on the Ocean City beach. It also is away to teach a new generation about the sacrifices made by America’s armed forces and to honor them on Memorial Day weekend.
On the morning of May 29, the Memorial Beach Challenge will have a roughly 2-mile obstacle course between Fifth and 15th streets – and a smaller course for children – expected to attract 700 to 800 participants. All of the proceeds of the event will go to 31Heroes, an organization dedicated to serving and supporting American veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or traumatic brain injury.
Asked what matters most about the event, Mike Vaule, who with his wife Aime are the coordinators, said, “The greatest takeaway you can have is teaching another generation the importance of Memorial Day and the sacrifices that are made to enjoy our freedoms. That’s the goal of our event in a nutshell – to make sure everybody realizes we’re having a great day on the beach, and we’re getting an endurance physical activity, but the bigger picture is we want to say thanks to everyone who has made the sacrifice along the way so that we’re able to do this.”
The organization 31Heroes.org, was formed 10 years ago to mark a solemn occasion. On Aug. 6, 2011, there was a military tragedy when a CH-47 Chinook helicopter, call sign Extortion 17, was downed in Afghanistan, killing 30 service members, many of them Navy SEALs, and a military K9.
The organization, which became a 501(c)(3) non-profit, began to raise money by helping organize fitness events across the nation to honor the selflessness and camaraderie of that day in 2011. The organization said it has given more than $1.5 million to veterans and their families since its first event in 2011.
The annual Ocean City event is the SEAL-inspired obstacle course.
“We start it on the Ninth Street beach and have obstacles running between Fifth and 15th streets,” Vaule said. “Every year we sort of change it up. We’ll have anywhere from 10 to 12 different obstacles along with two or three stations they will have to stop at to do calisthenics or some sort of repetition for 31 reps of an exercise to pay respect to the 31 lives lost.”
Vaule said part of what makes the Memorial Beach Challenge special is the support from the city of Ocean City.
“We’re not able to do this race without their support,” he said. “It’s all hands on deck.” The Public Works Department creates the sand mounds for racers to climb over and is involved in a popular obstacle called the “plunge pit.” Racers have to go down, get soaked wading through water, then climb up a mound while being sprayed by hoses.
That, he said, “is a culmination of efforts between the Ocean City Fire Department and Department of Public Works. They dig that whole pit. The fire department comes and fills it and monitors it, and has the hoses spraying water on the racers as they’re going through.”
In addition, other local businesses, including real estate professionals, support the race by having their staffs volunteer at the obstacles.
In a regular year – the event was canceled due to COVID-19 last year – the coordinators expect 700 to 800 participants. There are usually about 400 who take part in the adult race and about 300 children for the kids race. That’s much smaller and tailored around obstacles for them and set up on the north side of the Music Pier. The kids race usually ends the day for the challenge.
To register for the race – or to volunteer or be a sponsor – go to the website memorialbeachchallenge.com. The cost until May 21 is $58 for an individual and $212 for a team of four. That goes up to $68 and $262, respectively, on May 22-23. For children, the cost is $23 ($28 on May 22-23). The organization also is on Facebook and Instagram.
Racers can start picking up their bags containing their race bibs and T-shirts on Friday afternoon, May 28, and then early Saturday morning.
Vaule encourages people to register and get on the mailing list in case there are changes or they have to “call an audible” because of pandemic issues or restrictions. Right now everything is on track.
There will be a brief opening ceremony at 7:45 a.m. and the race starts promptly at 8 a.m.
This event isn’t just for competitors.
“The biggest thing is we encourage everybody to come out. If they just want to come out to support us by buying a hat or a T-shirt, that’s fine,” Vaule said. “It’s all about camaraderie.”
