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LAS CRUCES - With just a shade more than three weeks to go before the first of three entry deadlines, organizers of the 22nd annual Bataan Memorial Death March said Thursday the event is on pace to eclipse last year's record of 5,406 participants.
This year's march - actually two marches, if you include an 15.2-mile honorary march with the full, 26.2-mile event - will be on March 27. It will be about two weeks earlier than last year's march, when there was still snow on the peaks of the Organ Mountains and very chilly temperatures at the pre-dawn start of the march.
Last year's event set a record for the number of
"As of Monday, we had just a little less than 1,500 people signed up," said Sue Staub, Bataan March director, of the 1,496 entries that have been confirmed. "We're running a little higher than last year. We at about 400 more entries than we were at the same point last year, when we were (then) at 934.
"I'm optimistic that, yes, we're going to have an increase, just as we did last year."
Michael Rocha, a Las Cruces resident, participated in last year's march for the second time, and said the large group of marchers and the way the event is staged are two reasons why he plans on returning.
"When there's that many people in it, that makes it more exciting - at least for me," Rocha said. "The energy of the other marchers, their encouragement to everybody else along the way, and the way they (march organizers) run it makes it fun, challenging and meaningful."
Registrations by mail must be postmarked no later than March 12. Online registration continues until midnight March 20. Costs to enter the 26.2-mile event are $65 for an individual or $275 for a five-person team. The honorary 15.2-mile march is open only to individuals, also at a cost of $65.
Late online registration begins at 12:01 a.m. March 20 and ends at midnight March 23. But entry fees during that three-day period will be double: $130 for an individual and $550 for a team.
Bataan march history
The march began 21 years ago at New Mexico State University, with ROTC students marching 22 miles, from the NMSU campus to the entrance to Baylor Canyon, on the west side of the Organ Mountains, and back. In 1992, White Sands Missile Range and the New Mexico National Guard became sponsors of the march, and it was moved to WSMR, where it has remained since.
Through 2002, the 60th anniversary of the Bataan Death March, the memorial event steadily grew in participants. But for three years after the 60th anniversary, Army officials capped the event at 4,000 entrants. The cap was lifted for the 2006 march after Army officials agreed there shouldn't be a limit to those who wanted to participate.
"Every year since then it's grown pretty steadily," Staub said. "If you go back and look at it, the numbers have increased every year by at least 400."
Monte Marlin, WSMR spokeswoman, anticipates the number of registrations received for the event will noticeably jump as the deadline for entries approaches, and in the three days of late registration.
"We'll see a glut toward the deadline, particularly from the military side of the event," Marlin said. "(Military personnel) will see if they're available then to attend, and if they can get a good flight."
But, Staub added the increases will likely come from more and more civilians who register.
"It's kind of amazing to see that, when you consider the state of the economy," Staub said.
Better be in shape
Marlin reminded potential marchers that if they haven't already begun to train for the event, now is not the time to start.
"It is a challenging course, and people should already be putting their miles in," Marlin said.
The course starts and finishes at WSMR's Frontier Club. It begins at an elevation of slightly more than 4,300 feet above sea level, and reaches a height of 5,413 feet - more than a mile above sea level.
Training recommendations can be found at www.bataanmarch.com. Runners World Marathon Guide for 2010 listed the march as its runner up for the most organized event.
Although statistics aren't kept, Staub said it appears the number of spectators who come to watch family members, friends and other marchers has also continued to climb.
"They're coming for a lot of reasons, and more are coming out each year," Staub said. "We're receiving e-mails now from people who are planning to come as spectators and want to know details of how they can do that."
Real meaning
Although it has slowly grown as an athletic event, the focus of the march remains the same: to commemorate the American and Filipino soldiers who were surrendered to Japanese military forces during World War II. The captured soldiers were made to march more than 62 miles through scorching heat and rugged terrain with little food or water. Thousands died along the march, either because they could no longer keep pace or were tortured by Japanese soldiers.
There were 1,800 New Mexico National Guardsmen among those prisoners, and more than half of them either died during the march or in prison camps during their three years of captivity.
The Bataan Memorial Death March is a challenging trek through the high desert terrain conducted in honor of the heroic service members who defended the Philippine Islands during World War II, sacrificing their freedom, health and, in many cases, their lives.
Steve Ramirez can be reached at sramirez@lcsun-news.com; (575) 541-5452.
Remember Bataan
•What: 22nd annual Bataan Memorial Death March
•When: March 27
•Where: The march begins and ends in front of the Frontier Club, at White Sands Missile Range
•Distance: The full march is 26.2 miles; an honorary 15.2-mile march is also conducted
•Cost: $65 for an individual, for the full or honorary march, $275 a team for the full march only
•Important dates: Mail-in registration deadline - entries must be postmarked no later than March 12; Online registration closes at midnight March 20; Late online registration is from 12:01 a.m. March 20 to midnight March 23. Note: entry fees double to $130 for individuals, $550 for a team; Packet pick up - 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. March 25, and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. March 26 at the WSMR Community Club.
•Information: (575) 678-1256, (575) 678-2887, or by e-mail at bataan@conus.army.mil
By the numbers
•5,406: The record number of participants in last year's march
•156: The number of cases of powdered Gatorade drink mix to quench the thirst of marchers
•147: Cases of oranges that are quartered and then served to marchers during the event
•135: Cases of bananas
•10,000: Cups for marchers during the event
•187: Portable latrines used during the march
•19: Front-end trash receptacles
•28: "Water Buffalos," or extremely large water containers, along route to provide water for marchers
Source: White Sands Missile
Range Public Affairs Office
