Third annual Tuscaloosa Gauntlet tests mettle of competitors
Jason Belford, a retired first sergeant who served in the Army's elite Special Forces unit, has a little advice for those who plan to participate March 23 in the third annual Tuscaloosa Gauntlet.
“Help each other out and don’t give up,” said Belford, who served almost 20 years in the Army before retiring on Oct. 28, 2023.
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The Tuscaloosa Gauntlet is 5-mile challenge through rigorous terrain with a Marine-style obstacle course, including new obstacles of this year. Participants can choose to run in these heats: individual open, individual competitive, teams or kids.
Registration is open now at www.tuscaloosagauntlet.com. Proceeds benefit the Alabama Marines Foundation.
Race check-in will be at 7 a.m. March 23 at Buddy Powell Pavilion, 4205 Northridge Road, with the heats following at staggered times throughout the morning.
Belford, who participated in the 2022 Tuscaloosa Gauntlet, said the race is a lot fun that also provides some useful life lessons.
“I love it. Everyone comes together and competition builds cohesion. Everybody is out here to support each other, help each other, clap each other over the obstacles and show others their technique. Just like in life, the more positive people we surround ourselves with, the better off we will be,” Belford said Feb. 24 during the Tuscaloosa Gauntlet Media Day.
Belford saw combat action in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and a few other places. He knows first-hand the obstacles that veterans can face and how to overcome those obstacles.
“I spent almost my entire career in the special operations command and I got 12 deployments, been in and out of a lot of places, lost a lot of friends, and been through a lot of hoops and obstacles,” Belford said.
He said he went through a number of mental health issues about two years ago and has since been able to get his life back together, but he said that progress did not come without a struggle.
“In the military, we teach you how to be a warrior but we don’t teach you how to handle warrior dial down. I didn’t know and have the tools I needed to handle that,” Belford said. “I, unfortunately, attempted to take my own life. The Lord saw fit that that wasn’t the case for me and gave me a different purpose. Ever since that day, that gun didn’t go off, I thank the Lord for it.”
Belford said he believes his new path in life is to help others overcome the kinds of problems he faced. He relies on his faith to help show soldiers that they can have a life after military service.
He said that events like the Tuscaloosa Gauntlet demonstrate that exercise and physical fitness play a role in good mental health.
“With me, mental health and physical fitness go hand-in-hand. It allows me to change my perspective on what I’m thinking about. It exerts my energy by not dwelling on the things that drag you down and keep you down and it gives me purpose about my day.
"Running really allows me to develop my cognitive ability. It clears up my head and gets the brain fog out. It gives me the ability to feel normal again,” Belford said.
Reach Gary Cosby Jr. at gary.cosby@tuscaloosanews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Tuscaloosa Gauntlet features 5K race, Marine-style obstacle course
