Melissa Berke, of Cornwall-on-Hudson, won “The Brutality” endurance/survival event among the women. The plaque she received weighs 35 pounds and could be used to add weight to her back pack should she compete in the race again.
“The Brutality” sounds like something that could cause pain and should be avoided, but for adventure race aficionados Bill Thompson and Melissa Berke, it was an endurance/survival event they didn’t want to miss.
On Feb. 28, the Cornwall-on-Hudson residents traveled to Birdsboro, Penn. for a 22-mile/12 hour self-sustaining race through the woods and streams of Rustic Park. They had to endure sub-freezing temperatures and near freezing water, but both survived with all fingers and toes intact.
Berke placed first among the women while Thompson finished eighth among the men.
Thompson, 51, and Berke, 25, have been competing in adventure events together for the last year, having participated in over half a dozen races.
“You are always looking for that limit as an endurance athlete,” Berke said. “You always want to push that limit and keep testing yourself.”
Not knowing what to expect from the race itself, other than the fact they had to arrive with a 50-pound backpack, food, water, and change of clothes, the two began training in November. On weekends they would hike Storm King Mountain for four to five hours carrying a weighted backpack. During the week they would spend about two hours at a local gym going through boot camp exercises and running an hour on the treadmill wearing 40 pounds in weight.
The race began at 4 a.m. and featured 26 competitors (four women and 22 men), but only eight men were able to withstand the grueling challenge. The starting temperature was 14 degrees Fahrenheit.
The first leg of the race entailed physical training. In groups of three, the competitors entered knee-deep in frigid water, holding railroad ties in their hands and a pencil in their mouths. For two hours the competitors had to do shoulder presses and squats in the water. Their faces were exposed to the elements in order to hold the pencil. If a pencil broke, the group would be penalized with pushups, burpees, and 180 spins in the snow.
To pass the time, one racer began singing the National Anthem and everyone else joined in. Thompson said a neighbor had called the police because their singing was too loud.
At 6 a.m., the competitors exited the water, grabbed 25-pound sandbags and began a four-hour hike in the woods. Once that was complete, the racers went to base camp to grab their 50-pound backpacks to take on a series of additional physical challenges such as running up and down hills.
Temperatures reached a high of 24 degrees that afternoon, but Thompson said once the sun came out he didn’t feel the cold.
Berke and Thompson wore multiple layers of clothing, including waterproof hiking sneakers and socks, but they did have to stop during the race in order to change into dryer clothes.
“It was as advertised,” Thompson said of the race. “There was no letdown or disappointment. Everyone came out safe. There was never a concern for safety because they had EMT’s there just in case. It was mandatory to have a whistle outside your pack in case you came into trouble during the course. It was mentally exhausting and physically challenging. We both said it was the hardest event we ever did.”
Despite the tough challenges, both said they would enter the race again.
