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Marine to Run 236 Miles in Honor Corps Birthday
Captain to raise money for MC Law Enforcement Foundation
PHILADELPHIA, PA — Marine Corps Capt. Jason W. “Duke” Dequenne, 38, will set off on a feat that not many have ever attempted to accomplish when he hits the pavement Oct. 15 for a 236-mile run from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.
Running a pace of 15-miles per day between Oct. 15-29 and then finishing strong in Washington by completing the 26.2 mile Marine Corps Marathon on Oct 30, Dequenne will become the first Marine in history to accomplish this task.
Each mile along the route will be dedicated to a different Marine who was killed in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
“I always thought it’d be cool to do something like this by yourself, but there wasn’t any meaning behind it (at first) really besides it being the Marine Corps birthday,” Dequenne said. “It’s hard to do something of this magnitude without a purpose.”
This Nov. 10 marks the Marine Corps’ 236th birthday, the reason why Dequenne mapped a 236-mile run. Ironically this year’s Marine Corps Marathon turns 36-years old.
He will start in Philadelphia at the birth place of the Corps, a bar known as Tun Tavern.
On Nov. 10, 1775, the Continental Congress commissioned Samuel Nicholas to raise two Battalions of Marines. That very day, Nicholas set up shop in Tun Tavern. He appointed Robert Mullan, then the proprietor of the tavern, to the job of chief Marine Recruiter—serving, of course, from his place of business, the tavern. Prospective recruits flocked to the tavern, lured by (1) cold beer and (2) the opportunity to serve in the new Corps of Marines.
Tun Tavern no longer exists, having burned down in 1781 however Dequenne will begin his route where the historic site once stood. He will proceed to the famed steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art where boxer Rocky Balboa ran in hit film Rocky and then continue along his route.
Dequenne has run a total of 12 marathons since he started running competitively. He began training for this stretch back in July. He started with 16 days of ten-mile runs followed by four days rest. Next he ran seven days of 15-miles followed by one week rest.
He then started again with a 3-miler, then six, then nine, 12, 15, and eventually four straight days of 20 miles.
“Basically, I’m stressing my body with high mileage for a period followed by rest then low/moderate mileage and more high mileage followed by rest,” Duke said.
To put even more pressure on himself Dequenne has added a fundraising goal to his mission.
He is raising money for the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation. MCLEF raises funds to assist children of Marines or Federal law enforcement personnel who were killed on duty or died under extraordinary circumstances while serving our country at home or abroad. These funds help provide these children with scholarships for their higher education.
At the end of each day along the route Dequenne plans to partake in speaking engagements to help increase awareness of his cause which he dubbed “A Mile in Their Shoes.”
If you know of a Marine who was killed in action during OEF or OIF please contact Dequenne at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with the name of the Marine, contact information for the next of kin and their story.
Dequenne currently serves as the assistant logistics officer at The Basic School in Quantico, Va. He entered the Marine Corps as an enlisted Marine in 1996 before attending and completing Officer Candidate School in 2005.
A blog site has been set up where supporters can donate to the cause and follow Dequenne during his endeavor.
http://dev.redbearinc.com/freedomthroughsacrifice/
You can follow Dequenne on his journey via Facebook or Twitter. The links can also be found on the website.
Media wishing to interview Dequenne or looking for information about his route and how you can take photos and follow his story please contact Eric Kowal of Semper Fi Marketing at (570) 350-2818 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
