Paul Kwiatkowski and six union brothers from Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Local 1319 spent April 19 walking and running 26.2 miles in and near Boston.
Attached to each of their backs was a rucksack — which most of those seven military veterans had worn during their active service — with rucks weighing 25-30 pounds to meet the 15-pound dry ruck requirement.
They were sore and exhausted when they finished. But that didn’t compare to the feelings of pride and accomplishment after completing the Tough Ruck, a marathon-length road race that honors veterans, current servicemembers and first responders while aiding the families of those killed or seriously injured in the line of duty.
“It was awesome,” said Kwiatkowski, who serves on Local 1319’s executive board. “I think there were tears in the eyes of a lot of people.”
Local 1319 President Gary Telesk said his entire body was sore for a couple of days following the race.
Still, he couldn’t stop smiling. “What a great experience,” the Marine Corps veteran said.
The Tough Ruck moved to its current course in 2014 along the historic Battle Road Trail one year after the Boston Marathon bombing, during which servicemembers, first responders and others provided aid and comfort to victims near the race’s finish line.
It is held the weekend before the legendary marathon — which is run on Patriots Day, the third Monday in April and a legal holiday in Massachusetts.
The length is the same, but there is one big difference.
Participants usually wear full military gear or the gear of a first responder, such as a firefighter. Local 1319, an outside and utility local, has plenty of veteran members, including Business Manager Chris Darrow.
He figured a good way to bring them together and build morale would be participating in Tough Ruck. It also would bring attention to the local’s recently started Veterans Committee.
Darrow and the others trained on treadmills during the winter before moving outside in the month before the race and ramping up the intensity. Darrow said he would take part in a walk-run almost every night after leaving work.
Not only did they all finish, but the seven Local 1319 members also raised $11,337 for the Military Friends Foundation, Tough Ruck’s official charity. The race raised nearly $1.5 million overall, easily surpassing its goal of $1 million.
“The bond between IBEW journeyman linemen is very tight,” said Darrow, who served nine years in the U.S. Army.
“To see the sheer determination in these guys to finish was incredible. I think the rest of the local appreciates how the guys trained and how
– Local 1319 Business Manager Chris Darrow
it really put us on the map.”
“You put the lineman brotherhood with veteran status on top of that, it was an honor to be part of,” he added. “To see the sheer determination in these guys to finish was incredible. I think the rest of the local appreciates how the guys trained and how it really put us on the map.”
The other four Local 1319 members who finished the race were Andy Solanick, Zach Vaughn, Pete Neff, and Andy Depew. Solanick, Vaughn, and Depew served in the Marine Corps, and Neff served in the Army. All seven race participants are journeyman outside linemen.
“There was a lot of active-duty members taking part, and they were literally wearing full battle uniforms,” Kwiatkowski said. “They just wouldn’t quit.
“I was really impressed by that. It was good to be reminded we have a lot of tough men and women serving in our military,” he added.
The Tough Ruck starts at a school in Concord, Mass., near where the Revolutionary War began with the Battles of Lexington and Concord. This year’s race was 251 years to the day since those battles, and participants ran two miles through Minute Man National Historical Park and across the historic North Bridge while the battle was being reenacted.
Some reenactors handed out water and food to participants later in the race while still wearing costumes from that period, mingling with spectators also handling out nutrients.
“That was amazing,” Kwiatkowski said of the scene. “It was so motivating.”
It ended at the Lexington Battle Green, now a public park and the site of the opening shots of the Lexington battle.
Much of the focus in Boston in the days leading up to the race is on the Marathon itself, and for good reason. It has been run annually since 1897 and is generally considered the most prestigious marathon in the world, outside of possibly the Olympic Games.
But the Tough Ruck is far from ignored. The Local 1319 members who took part left impressed by the thousands of people who showed up to cheer for them and other participants.
“It was great to see everyone, all the kids, all the people coming out to support veterans,” Telesk said. “I can’t wait to do it again.”
He will get that chance. Darrow also plans to return, and he envisions it becoming an annual tradition for Local 1319. Even non-participants in the local got caught up in the fun, donating money and checking in with the seven who participated to see how they were doing in their training, he said.
It was an especially rewarding day for Telesk and Kwiatkowski. The two grew up together before serving in the Marines.
Runners were required to carry rucks containing at least 25 pounds, similar to what many wore on active duty. Above: Local 1319 members wore this shirt during the Tough Ruck.
Not surprisingly, they’ve formed a tight bond. Kwiatkowski said he was especially moved to run beside Telesk, noting that the IBEW brother he calls his best friend had lost nearly 60 pounds during training.
“I’m so proud of him,” he said.
“It wasn’t even a competition for us in the local,” Kwiatkowski added. “It created a stronger sense of solidarity. Chris just couldn’t have been more proud that we were involved and that we all finished.”
Darrow is hoping a few more Local 1319 members give the Tough Ruck a try next year. He realizes the grueling event may not be for everyone, but he encourages anyone remotely interested to sign up.
“For me personally, it’s a matter of self-motivation and trying to achieve a goal and completing it,” Darrow said. “For our local, it’s more of our veterans getting together in solidarity and respecting our fallen brothers.
“There is so much work to keep us busy day in and day out. Even with that, it’s good to get some veterans together and hang in solidarity.”
