The Clemson 8 Challenge
- Date Sat 8th March 2025 - Mon 7th April 2025
- Location Clemson or at your own location, South Carolina
- Price Free - $34.92
- Races 6 races
Event summary
Join the excitement at The Clemson 8 Challenge, taking place in Clemson, South Carolina, from Saturday, March 8, 2025, through Monday, April 7, 2025. This unique event invites participants to walk, run, bike, hike, swim, or ski, either in-person at 9:00 AM on March 8 or virtually from March 8-15. Whether you’re in Clemson or in your own community, you can take part in this inspiring challenge over an eight-day period, completing your chosen distance at your own pace!
The Clemson 8 Challenge not only promotes fitness and community spirit but also supports a noble cause, with 100% of proceeds benefiting Clemson University’s military-affiliated student organizations. Participants will receive a fantastic participant packet, including a cotton T-shirt or tank top, a military ribbon, a wooden nickel, a race bib, and a window decal. With a goal to raise $19,420 this year, your involvement can help honor the legacy of those who served and ensure that students continue to have opportunities in their educational pursuits. Don’t miss out on being part of this meaningful journey in honor of our veterans!
The Clemson 8 Challenge not only promotes fitness and community spirit but also supports a noble cause, with 100% of proceeds benefiting Clemson University’s military-affiliated student organizations. Participants will receive a fantastic participant packet, including a cotton T-shirt or tank top, a military ribbon, a wooden nickel, a race bib, and a window decal. With a goal to raise $19,420 this year, your involvement can help honor the legacy of those who served and ensure that students continue to have opportunities in their educational pursuits. Don’t miss out on being part of this meaningful journey in honor of our veterans!
Organiser's Description
THE CLEMSON 8 CHALLENGE - WALK/RUN/BIKE/HIKE/SWIM/SKI
The Clemson 8 Challenge is open to the general public. WE ARE HOSTING AN IN-PERSON RACE AT 9:00 AM ON SAT., MARCH 8, 2025, ALONG WITH A VIRTUAL RACE FROM MARCH 8-15, 2025. You can complete your own walk, run, bike, hike, swim, or ski in Clemson, S.C. or on your own course - in your own town. And you can complete it in one day or throughout the eight-day period. YOUR PARTICIPANT PACKET CONSISTS OF 100% COTTON COMFORT COLORS T-SHIRT OR GILDAN BRAND TANK TOP, A MILITARY RIBBON, WOODEN NICKEL, RACE BIB AND WINDOW DECAL. THERE IS NO PRIZE MONEY AWARDED FOR THIS EVENT.
100% OF THE PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT THE CLEMSON UNIVERSITY MILITARY AFFILIATED STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS. THE FIRST FOUR CHALLENGES RAISED $113,127.34. THE 2025 GOAL IS TO RAISE $19,420. DIVIDENDS FROM THE ENDOWMENT AND YOUR DONATIONS WILL ASSIST IN PAYING FOR UP TO TEN STUDENTS TO COMPLETE IN THE BATAAN MEMORIAL DEATH MARCH MARATHON IN NEW MEXICO ON MARCH 22, 2025.
Donations can be made on-line during your registration or if you want a tax deduction, please contact Amy Craft at the Clemson University Foundation M-F from 8:00 am - 4:30 pm EST at 864-656-1240, [email protected] or mail a check to: Clemson University Foundation, Attn: Amy Craft, P.O. Box 1889, Clemson, SC 29633 On the for line, write: Bataan Endowment.
Direct online link: https://iamatiger.clemson.edu/giving/giving-to-clemson?id=9ed46b59-6d7e-4b16-88c6-961984a7efe0
If you would like to become a Race Sponsor, contact John Seketa at [email protected] or 864-903-1487 for more information.
On April 9, 1942, six Clemson alumni became prisoners of war with tens of thousands of their brothers-in-arms when American troops who had been fighting in the Philippine theater of WWII were ordered to surrender to the Japanese. They were marched North some 70 miles by their ruthless captors in what would come to be known as the Bataan Death March, one of the most notorious war crimes in history. Seven other alumni were also captured on neighboring islands during World War II.
Already weak and starving from months of intense fighting and illness, the POWs were herded with other sick, wounded and starving soldiers through the searing heat of the Philippine jungles. Thousands died. Those who survived the march then had to survive for years in the inhumane and brutal conditions of Japanese prisoner-of-war camps, and the sinking by our own Navy of unmarked prison ships trying to steal the POWs away to the mainland towards the end of the war. It is impossible to know the exact number, but it is estimated at least 57 percent of the captured Americans did not survive the war more than 11,500 souls which is considered a very conservative number by most experts.
Colonel Skardon, 104, was the last living member of this illustrious group. He was well known as the only survivor of the real Bataan Death March who walked in the annual Bataan Memorial Death March (BMDM) at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., one of the toughest and most popular ultramarathons in the world. The event has become a pilgrimage for veterans, active-duty military members, supporters, the few remaining survivors, and family members of the men who perished in the march and POW camps.
Colonel Skardon had walked in the BMDM 12 times, most often a distance of 8.5 miles, beginning in 2007 when he was 89. In 2019, at 101, he walked more than three miles through the desert to honor his brothers-in-arms who did not return from the war. He considered it his duty. He was on his way to walk again in 2021 when the event was canceled due to the pandemic. In response, the Clemson 8 Challenge was created by a team of students, veterans, alumni and friends so Colonel Skardon could continue his pilgrimage from his home in Clemson. The 8 represents the annual miles that Colonel Skardon walked each year to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country in one of the most brutal wartime events in history.
ON THURS., NOV. 11, 2021 (VETERAN'S DAY), COLONEL SKARDON WAS AWARDED WITH A STAR IN A PRIVATE CEREMONY AND A RANK OF HONORARY BRIGADIER GENERAL. ON MON., NOV. 15., 2021, GENERAL SKARDON PASSED AWAY.
After registering for the Clemson 8 Challenge, everyone is encouraged to continue their training and participate in the 2025 in-person or virtual edition of the 36th Annual Bataan Memorial Death March at https://bataanmarch.com/
For more information on those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country from Clemson A&M College and Clemson University, visit the Clemson University Scroll of Honor website: https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/
HERE IS A LIST OF 24 KNOWN CLEMSON GRADUATES AND 1 FORMER STUDENT WHO WERE A P.O.W. -
WORLD WAR II
* Army Air Force Captain Theodore Cuyler Bigger 34, York County, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese and survived the Bataan Death March.
* Army 1LT Martin Crook, Jr. 39, Spartanburg, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese and survived the Bataan Death March.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/martin-crook-jr/
* Army Captain William R. English 37, Columbia, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese on Cebu Island.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/william-robins-english/
* Army Major Albert M. George 36, Aiken, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese on the island of Mindanao.
* Army Colonel Louis D. Hutson 13, Aiken, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese after being wounded on Bataan.
* Army Captain Marion R. Manny Lawton 40, Garnett, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese and survived the Bataan Death March.
* Army Captain Henry D. Leitner 37, Greenwood, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese and survived the Bataan Death March.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/henry-daniel-leitner/
* Army 1LT Otis F. Morgan 38, Laurens, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese on the island of Corregidor.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/otis-foster-morgan/
* Army Lt. Colonel William Allen Orr 38, Anderson, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese and survived the Bataan Death March.
* Marine Captain Wesley McCoy Platt '35, Summerville, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese on Wake Island.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/wesley-mccoy-platt/
* Army Air Force Captain Francis Herbert Scarborough 39, Bishopville, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese on the island of Corregidor.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/francis-herbert-scarborough/
* Army Captain Beverly N. Ben Skardon 38, Walterboro, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese and survived the Bataan Death March.
* Army 1LT Howard Monroe Vassey 40, Chesnee, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese on the island of Corregidor.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Army 2LT George Albert Henry '45, Spartanburg, S.C. - Captured by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge.
* Army Staff Sgt. George W. Jones, Loris, S.C. - Attended classes in 1941. Captured by the Germans.
* Army PFC Joseph Lawrence King '47, Clemson, S.C. - Captured by the Germans during the Battle of Orscholz.
* Army Corporal Horace Gordon Meisner, Jr. '46, Savannah, Ga. - Captured by the Germans in the Ardennes.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/horace-gordon-meisner-jr/ [https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/horace-gordon-meisner-jr/]
* Army Air Force Captain William Henry Mooney, Jr. 41, Hawkinsville, Ga. - Captured by the Germans when his P-51 was shot down near Fulda, Germany.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll-of-honor/search/?hname=mooney&conflict=none&yr=none&service=none
* Army Air Force 2LT Lewis Anderson Page, Jr. '45, Columbia, SC - Captured by the Germans when his B-17 was shot down.
* Army Colonel Albert Ward Smarr 50, Hickory Grove, S.C. - Captured by the Germans when as a B-17 gunner and radio operator his plane was shot down over Berlin.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/albert-ward-smarr-jr/
KOREAN WAR
* Air Force Major Malcom Brodie Edens 47, Pickens, S.C. - Died while Missing in Action.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/malcolm-brodie-edens/
* Army 1Lt. William H. Funchess '48, Orangeburg County, S.C. - Captured by the Chinese Communist Army.
VIETNAM WAR
* Air Force Captain William Renwick Austin II '59, Simpsonville, S.C. - Captured by the North Vietnamese.
* Navy Lt. Commander Robert Fant, '57, Anderson, S.C. - Captured by the North Vietnamese.
* Air Force 1Lt. Samuel R. Vaughan '67, St. George, S.C. - Captured by the North Vietnamese.
SUBMIT RESULTS
TO SUBMIT RESULTS FOR THE VIRTUAL CHALLENGE, SIMPLY FOLLOW THESE STEPS:
*
CLICK THE RESULTS TAB ON THE CLEMSON 8 HOME PAGE
*
CLICK SUBMIT VIRTUAL RESULTS
* _Results can ONLY be submitted from March 11th through March 18th._
*
SEARCH FOR YOUR PROFILE USING EITHER YOUR NAME OR EMAIL ADDRESS
*
YOU CAN CHECK YOUR PROGRESS AND THE PROGRESS OF OTHERS FROM THE RESULTS PAGE
The Clemson 8 Challenge is open to the general public. WE ARE HOSTING AN IN-PERSON RACE AT 9:00 AM ON SAT., MARCH 8, 2025, ALONG WITH A VIRTUAL RACE FROM MARCH 8-15, 2025. You can complete your own walk, run, bike, hike, swim, or ski in Clemson, S.C. or on your own course - in your own town. And you can complete it in one day or throughout the eight-day period. YOUR PARTICIPANT PACKET CONSISTS OF 100% COTTON COMFORT COLORS T-SHIRT OR GILDAN BRAND TANK TOP, A MILITARY RIBBON, WOODEN NICKEL, RACE BIB AND WINDOW DECAL. THERE IS NO PRIZE MONEY AWARDED FOR THIS EVENT.
100% OF THE PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT THE CLEMSON UNIVERSITY MILITARY AFFILIATED STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS. THE FIRST FOUR CHALLENGES RAISED $113,127.34. THE 2025 GOAL IS TO RAISE $19,420. DIVIDENDS FROM THE ENDOWMENT AND YOUR DONATIONS WILL ASSIST IN PAYING FOR UP TO TEN STUDENTS TO COMPLETE IN THE BATAAN MEMORIAL DEATH MARCH MARATHON IN NEW MEXICO ON MARCH 22, 2025.
Donations can be made on-line during your registration or if you want a tax deduction, please contact Amy Craft at the Clemson University Foundation M-F from 8:00 am - 4:30 pm EST at 864-656-1240, [email protected] or mail a check to: Clemson University Foundation, Attn: Amy Craft, P.O. Box 1889, Clemson, SC 29633 On the for line, write: Bataan Endowment.
Direct online link: https://iamatiger.clemson.edu/giving/giving-to-clemson?id=9ed46b59-6d7e-4b16-88c6-961984a7efe0
If you would like to become a Race Sponsor, contact John Seketa at [email protected] or 864-903-1487 for more information.
On April 9, 1942, six Clemson alumni became prisoners of war with tens of thousands of their brothers-in-arms when American troops who had been fighting in the Philippine theater of WWII were ordered to surrender to the Japanese. They were marched North some 70 miles by their ruthless captors in what would come to be known as the Bataan Death March, one of the most notorious war crimes in history. Seven other alumni were also captured on neighboring islands during World War II.
Already weak and starving from months of intense fighting and illness, the POWs were herded with other sick, wounded and starving soldiers through the searing heat of the Philippine jungles. Thousands died. Those who survived the march then had to survive for years in the inhumane and brutal conditions of Japanese prisoner-of-war camps, and the sinking by our own Navy of unmarked prison ships trying to steal the POWs away to the mainland towards the end of the war. It is impossible to know the exact number, but it is estimated at least 57 percent of the captured Americans did not survive the war more than 11,500 souls which is considered a very conservative number by most experts.
Colonel Skardon, 104, was the last living member of this illustrious group. He was well known as the only survivor of the real Bataan Death March who walked in the annual Bataan Memorial Death March (BMDM) at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., one of the toughest and most popular ultramarathons in the world. The event has become a pilgrimage for veterans, active-duty military members, supporters, the few remaining survivors, and family members of the men who perished in the march and POW camps.
Colonel Skardon had walked in the BMDM 12 times, most often a distance of 8.5 miles, beginning in 2007 when he was 89. In 2019, at 101, he walked more than three miles through the desert to honor his brothers-in-arms who did not return from the war. He considered it his duty. He was on his way to walk again in 2021 when the event was canceled due to the pandemic. In response, the Clemson 8 Challenge was created by a team of students, veterans, alumni and friends so Colonel Skardon could continue his pilgrimage from his home in Clemson. The 8 represents the annual miles that Colonel Skardon walked each year to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country in one of the most brutal wartime events in history.
ON THURS., NOV. 11, 2021 (VETERAN'S DAY), COLONEL SKARDON WAS AWARDED WITH A STAR IN A PRIVATE CEREMONY AND A RANK OF HONORARY BRIGADIER GENERAL. ON MON., NOV. 15., 2021, GENERAL SKARDON PASSED AWAY.
After registering for the Clemson 8 Challenge, everyone is encouraged to continue their training and participate in the 2025 in-person or virtual edition of the 36th Annual Bataan Memorial Death March at https://bataanmarch.com/
For more information on those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country from Clemson A&M College and Clemson University, visit the Clemson University Scroll of Honor website: https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/
HERE IS A LIST OF 24 KNOWN CLEMSON GRADUATES AND 1 FORMER STUDENT WHO WERE A P.O.W. -
WORLD WAR II
* Army Air Force Captain Theodore Cuyler Bigger 34, York County, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese and survived the Bataan Death March.
* Army 1LT Martin Crook, Jr. 39, Spartanburg, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese and survived the Bataan Death March.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/martin-crook-jr/
* Army Captain William R. English 37, Columbia, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese on Cebu Island.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/william-robins-english/
* Army Major Albert M. George 36, Aiken, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese on the island of Mindanao.
* Army Colonel Louis D. Hutson 13, Aiken, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese after being wounded on Bataan.
* Army Captain Marion R. Manny Lawton 40, Garnett, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese and survived the Bataan Death March.
* Army Captain Henry D. Leitner 37, Greenwood, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese and survived the Bataan Death March.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/henry-daniel-leitner/
* Army 1LT Otis F. Morgan 38, Laurens, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese on the island of Corregidor.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/otis-foster-morgan/
* Army Lt. Colonel William Allen Orr 38, Anderson, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese and survived the Bataan Death March.
* Marine Captain Wesley McCoy Platt '35, Summerville, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese on Wake Island.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/wesley-mccoy-platt/
* Army Air Force Captain Francis Herbert Scarborough 39, Bishopville, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese on the island of Corregidor.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/francis-herbert-scarborough/
* Army Captain Beverly N. Ben Skardon 38, Walterboro, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese and survived the Bataan Death March.
* Army 1LT Howard Monroe Vassey 40, Chesnee, S.C. - Captured by the Japanese on the island of Corregidor.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Army 2LT George Albert Henry '45, Spartanburg, S.C. - Captured by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge.
* Army Staff Sgt. George W. Jones, Loris, S.C. - Attended classes in 1941. Captured by the Germans.
* Army PFC Joseph Lawrence King '47, Clemson, S.C. - Captured by the Germans during the Battle of Orscholz.
* Army Corporal Horace Gordon Meisner, Jr. '46, Savannah, Ga. - Captured by the Germans in the Ardennes.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/horace-gordon-meisner-jr/ [https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/horace-gordon-meisner-jr/]
* Army Air Force Captain William Henry Mooney, Jr. 41, Hawkinsville, Ga. - Captured by the Germans when his P-51 was shot down near Fulda, Germany.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll-of-honor/search/?hname=mooney&conflict=none&yr=none&service=none
* Army Air Force 2LT Lewis Anderson Page, Jr. '45, Columbia, SC - Captured by the Germans when his B-17 was shot down.
* Army Colonel Albert Ward Smarr 50, Hickory Grove, S.C. - Captured by the Germans when as a B-17 gunner and radio operator his plane was shot down over Berlin.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/albert-ward-smarr-jr/
KOREAN WAR
* Air Force Major Malcom Brodie Edens 47, Pickens, S.C. - Died while Missing in Action.
* https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/malcolm-brodie-edens/
* Army 1Lt. William H. Funchess '48, Orangeburg County, S.C. - Captured by the Chinese Communist Army.
VIETNAM WAR
* Air Force Captain William Renwick Austin II '59, Simpsonville, S.C. - Captured by the North Vietnamese.
* Navy Lt. Commander Robert Fant, '57, Anderson, S.C. - Captured by the North Vietnamese.
* Air Force 1Lt. Samuel R. Vaughan '67, St. George, S.C. - Captured by the North Vietnamese.
SUBMIT RESULTS
TO SUBMIT RESULTS FOR THE VIRTUAL CHALLENGE, SIMPLY FOLLOW THESE STEPS:
*
CLICK THE RESULTS TAB ON THE CLEMSON 8 HOME PAGE
*
CLICK SUBMIT VIRTUAL RESULTS
* _Results can ONLY be submitted from March 11th through March 18th._
*
SEARCH FOR YOUR PROFILE USING EITHER YOUR NAME OR EMAIL ADDRESS
*
YOU CAN CHECK YOUR PROGRESS AND THE PROGRESS OF OTHERS FROM THE RESULTS PAGE
Races
-
800 Meter Kids Run/Walk/Stroll
Incl. $1.72 Fee & 100% Cotton Short T-Shirt
Sat 8th March 2025 (9:00AM EST)
$13.72
-
8 K or 8 Mile - Race Day - General Public
Incl. $2.92 Fee & 100% Cotton Long or Short T-Shirt or Tank Top
Sat 8th March 2025 (9:00AM EST)
$34.92
The race website does not allow us to list 8K (4.97 miles) and 8 miles at the same time. We chose to list the event as 8 miles. This was the number of miles that Colonel Skardon used to walk in New Mexico. By combining the two distances, we are eliminating one of the race categories. Just trying to make your sign-up easier. -
8 K or 8 Mile - Race Day - College Students & Younger
Incl. $2.20 Fee & 100% Cotton Long or Short T-Shirt or Tank Top
Sat 8th March 2025 (9:00AM EST)
$22.20
USE YOUR CAMPUS ADDRESS The race website does not allow us to list 8K (4.97 miles) and 8 miles at the same time. We chose to list the event as 8 miles. This was the number of miles that Colonel Skardon used to walk in New Mexico. By combining the two distances, we are eliminating one of the race categories. Just trying to make your sign-up easier. -
8 Mile - Race Day - 5 Member College ROTC Ruck Team
Sat 8th March 2025 (9:00AM EST)
Free
USE YOUR CAMPUS ADDRESS. CLEMSON 8 CHALLENGE RULES COLLEGE ROTC DIVISION Each team must have five (5) cadets. Each cadet must carry a 35-lb rucksack at least eight miles (run or walk). Each cadet team member must do the eight (8) miles at the same time on the same day. The course is anywhere in your community, flat or hilly. The fifth (5th) team member must finish within 20 seconds of the first (1st) team member. Your challenge must be completed by March 15, 2025. Each team entry fee is free. Schools can have more than one team compete in the challenge. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cadets and cadre not in the team challenge can complete the 8, 14.2 or 26.2 mile challenge on their own at a cost of $20 per person. Each person who competes as an individual will receive a "Clemson 8" Challenge shirt. -
8 Mile Relay Virtual Challenge - High School JROTC/P.E. Class
Incl. $2.50 Fee & School Banner
$27.50
April 9, 1942 was the first day of the actual Bataan Death March. Each school must have at least eight (8) students on a team. Each school will receive eight (8) Wooden Nickels. Additional Wooden Nickels may be purchased in the Store. Each school will receive one (1) 2' x 3' participation banner. When registering, list your high school as the participant. For example - Gillespie High School instead of John Doe. Rucksacks/backpacks are OPTIONAL, however, if you choose to ruck, we suggest each student carry at least a 20-lb rucksack. The course can be at any quarter mile track or anywhere in your community. Each team should abide by your schools social distance requirements. Your team is invited to complete your challenge in Clemson. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A team member can purchase a "Clemson 8" Challenge t-shirt by going to the STORE -
8, 14.2 & 26.2 Mile - Virtual - General Public
Incl. $2.92 Fee & 100% Cotton Long or Short T-Shirt or Tank Top
$34.92
The race website does not allow us to list 8, 14.2 and 26.2 miles at the same time. We chose to list the event as 8 miles. This was the number of miles that Colonel Skardon used to walk in New Mexico. You can walk any of the three distances. By combining the three distances, we are eliminating two of the race categories. We trying to make your sign-up easier and less confusing.
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