EVENTS GORUCK Events

Buffalo Soldiers were U.S. Army regiments composed exclusively of black American soldiers, formed during the 19th century to serve on the American frontier after the Civil War. The Buffalo Soldiers played crucial roles in westward expansion, the Indian Wars, and early National Parks, all while overcoming intense racism and segregation, thereby proving black military capability and paving the way for greater integration.

Many of these soldiers also served in California's Sierra Nevada as some of our nation's first park rangers. For this month’s Ruck Club Callout, we’ll perform a service project honoring their service protecting Yosemite and Sequoia before the Park Service even existed.

• Begin with a brief story about the Buffalo Soldiers’ early role as park rangers
• Perform a trail cleanup ruck or adopt a section of a local road for cleanup
• Include a moment of silence or reflection in a scenic area
• End with a statement of stewardship, e.g., “We protect what they protected.”
• Minimum distance: your call
• Weight: rucker's choice
• Share on social media using #RUCKCLUBCALLOUT and tag @goruck

“Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” ― Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

February's Ruck Club Callout is the Heart of Grace Ruck. You pick a charity or organization that helps others and execute a service project for them with your team. A few idea starters:

• Donate non-perishables to a food bank
• Collect used coats/clothing for a homeless shelter
• Food drive for an animal shelter
• Volunteer at a soup kitchen
• Organize a car wash and donate the profits
• Read to residents at a nursing home
• Adopt a local highway or road and clean up trash

Add mileage where it makes sense. For food drives, it's a natural for everyone to carry the items to their destination. For other projects, you might prefer to add 2-3 miles beforehand or to a ruckoff afterwards. Have fun, put in the work, and do some good!

It’s time for a Coffee Ruck with your friends and family. Pick one or more of your favorite coffee shops, create a route, and ruck up to enjoy a cup o’ joe (hot cocoa for the kids). You decide the weight you carry, the distance of the ruck, and when you run it. You’ll be wide awake after this one!

That’s right, we Americans are willing to cross a frozen river on Christmas to come get you. And yes, it’s time to earn your annual Polar Plunge patch just like our nation’s founders did 250 years ago.

As we embark on America’s 250th anniversary, we think back to that frigid night of December 25, 1776 when General George Washington led ~2,400 Continental Army troops across the icy, storm-swept Delaware River to execute a surprise attack on Hessian forces in Trenton, New Jersey. This daring crossing was a critical maneuver after a series of defeats, intended to boost sagging American morale with a much-needed victory. Despite delays and a blizzard, they successfully reached Trenton, launching an attack that resulted in a decisive American victory with minimal casualties.

Take your ruck crew for a few miles and a dip in cold water to remember the hearty spirit of our forebears. Ruck distance: Do your plunge, do some PT and ruck 3-5 miles to warm yourself up. Hot cocoa or coffee at the finish! (For those in warmer climates, be creative. We know you will!) Bonus #coolpoints for those who submerge all the way in icy water.

• Distance: 3-5 miles
• Weight: Rucker's choice
• Optional: Throw in a few sets of PT to warm up after your plunge.
• Share on social media using #RUCKCLUBCALLOUT and tag @goruck

The Pizza Ruck is a food-themed challenge to complete with friends and family. Plan this one whenever you want. Minimum distance is 3 miles (but more miles means you can enjoy more slices) and you get to pick the weight you carry. Where you get your pizza is up to you, as are the toppings. You could end your ruck at a local pizzeria, create a route and buy a slice at each stop, or even arrange to have pizza delivered to your destination. Mangia!

It’s time for Brew Ruck with your friends and family. Pick a few of your favorite breweries, create a route, and ruck up to go throw some down (Root Beer for the kids!). You decide the weight you carry, the distance of the ruck, and when you run it. It feels good to relax with your friends after a ruck while supporting your local watering holes. Cheers!

In 1754, Benjamin Franklin published America’s first political cartoon for the Pennsylvania Gazette, an early American newspaper. The cartoon is a representation of all of the British Colonies in a cut-up segmented rattlesnake, which Franklin described as “the present disunited state of the British Colonies.” It was based on a superstition that if a snake was cut into pieces and the pieces were put together before sunset, the snake would come back to life.

The French and Indian War was a part of the Seven Years' War which pitted Great Britain alongside the Thirteen Colonies and their native allies against the French and their native allies. During that time, the American colonists were divided on whether or not to risk fighting the French for control of the lands west of the Appalachian Mountains. Franklin had been chosen as a delegate for an upcoming conference in Albany, New York, to deal with a combined threat to the British from French and Indian forces, and the cartoon was his first attempt to unite the colonies against the French.

Even though the cartoon was published long before the American Revolution, the illustration was later reused to promote independence from Britain. And that’s how most folks remember it nowadays.

Welcome to the Join or Die Ruck. You and your team will create your own “snake” from sandbags connected with carabiners, and then join together to carry it for the distance of your choice (3-5 miles). Ben Franklin’s snake had 8 segments, the length and weight of your team’s snake is up to you (we recommend 3-6 sandbags based upon the size of your club). As you move out together, you’ll need to coordinate a rotation of participants so that each person contributes effort throughout the ruck. You’re gonna want to schedule a ruckoff after this one to hoist a few frosty beverages in triumph.

DETAILS:

• Link 3-6 sandbags together to form a “snake”

• Connect them with carabiners

• Choose 20, 40, 60, 80, or 120 lb sandbags based on your team’s abilities…and the sandbags you have available

• Distance: 3–5 miles, your choice based on the level of your team

• Weight: rucker's choice

• Share on social media using #RUCKCLUBCALLOUT and tag @goruck

Invoking the wisdom of Homer Simpson, “Donuts, is there anything they can’t do?” Whether you’re a fan of cake donuts or the light-as-air yeast donuts, this Ruck Club Callout will give you a sugar rush!

Details

• 3 or more people
• 3 or more miles
• You decide how much weight you carry in your ruck.

We all scream for ice cream! Grab some friends and family for a ruck to your local ice cream parlor! You decide the weight you carry, the distance of the ruck, and how many ice cream shops you visit.

Peace, Love, and Tacos. Ruck to your favorite taco truck or restaurant and grab some tacos to enjoy. Do it anytime or save it for a Cinco de Mayo celebration.

When asked how long it would take for justice to come to those seeking equality, Dr. King replied, “How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

The Selma to Montgomery marches were three protests held in March 1965, along the 54-mile highway from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital of Montgomery. Today, the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail honors the 54-mile march of non-violent activists, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In the lead up to and during these marches, peaceful protesters were met with intractable resistance and violence by whites in positions of power that resulted in the death of deacon Jimmie Lee Jackson, as well as the brutal beating of Amelia Boynton and others in an event that became known as Bloody Sunday. By highlighting racial injustice, these marches contributed to passage that year of the Voting Rights Act, a landmark federal achievement of the civil rights movement.

"Last Sunday, more than eight thousand of us started on a mighty walk from Selma, Alabama. We have walked through desolate valleys and across the trying hills. We have walked on meandering highways and rested our bodies on rocky byways. Some of our faces are burned from the outpourings of the sweltering sun. Some have literally slept in the mud. We have been drenched by the rains. Our bodies are tired and our feet are somewhat sore." - Excerpt from the speech delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. on the steps of the State Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama

• You ruck a total of 54 miles wherever you live, preferably with friends. You choose the weight and if you want the miles to be cumulative or consecutive.
  

Net proceeds of Selma to Montgomery patch sales will go to our partners at The Give Team, a fitness and leadership program made up of students from the New Image Youth Center located in the inner city neighborhood of Parramore in Orlando.

Lyrics by Superchunk

Summer is here and we don’t ever want it to end. The days are longer, routines get upended, the pace of humanity slows just enough to enjoy life, and best of all, outside is in.

The summer of 2020, do-it-yourself quarantine Star Courses were all the rage for people to do solo or within their pods. Thousands of you showed up to ruck and submitted Hit Lists to cities from all over the world - thank you!

Now you can do an Endless Summer Star Course and earn a patch - you choose between a 12 miler or any Sprint distance (5k/10k/15k) using our ready-made hit lists - this time with friends. Grab your sunglasses and ruck whatever city you find yourself in this summer.

STEP 1: Download the hit list for your city.

DOWNLOAD HERE. Choose from 5k, 10k, 15k or 12 Miles. If your city doesn't have a hit list, create your own. Pick the waypoints for a 12 miler (scaling down the mileage to one of the shorter distances above is easy to do on your own), fill out this form and we will add it to the public folder as soon as possible so that others can complete it too.

STEP 2: Get a rucksack (or any backpack) and some weight.

10 lbs if you weigh under 150 lbs and 20 lbs if you weigh over 150 lbs or want more of a challenge. Check out Ruck Plates, the best weight to ruck.

STEP 3: Plot your route and go to the waypoints.

Take a picture at each for more fun. Share with us on social @goruck for bragging rights too.

STEP 4: If you are the goal-setting type, make it to all of the waypoints in the following prescribed time limits:

12 miler - 5 hrs

Sprint distances: 5k - 2.5 hrs; 10k - 3 hrs; 15k - 3.5 hrs

Tips For Staying Safe:

• Bring a buddy or three, especially if they are 4-legged friends. If you're rucking alone, go out during daylight hours and avoid any areas that could be dangerous.
• Bring your cell phone in case of emergency.
• If a waypoint is a location (park or beach or building) that is currently closed, pick a new spot nearby - do not break any laws or unnecessarily tax law enforcement now or ever.
• Bring plenty of water and snacks to stay hydrated and energized.

Good luck and get rucking! Check out the Star Course Hit lists here.

Welcome to the Buddy Carry Ruck. Just a normal day out rucking with your friends…until the last mile. For the ENTIRE LAST MILE, 20% of your group has to be up in a buddy carry. If they aren’t in the air, then they aren’t moving. You can do this however you want: Fireman’s carry, 2 person carry, 3 person carry, you could do 8 people if you want. It’s totally up to you, bonus points for being creative. The casualty can rotate, so it does not have to be the same person the whole time. Also, no using your kids as the casualty, that’s cheating. One important note, NO RUCKS on the casualties.

Details:

• Minimum 4 person teams but the more the merrier
• 20% of participants up for the last mile of the ruck, math rounds up. So if you have six people, then two people must go up for the last mile.
• 4 mile minimum but go as far as you want
• Minimum ruck weight: 10 lbs
• Share on social media and use #RUCKCLUBCALLOUT and tag @goruck

Think back to elementary school, where Field Day was every kid’s favorite spring event. You got to go outside with friends and compete in various track and field events for ribbons or trophies. We designed this month’s Callout to be similar, but with a heaping helping of our kind of Good Livin’.

Divide your participants into two teams who will compete in several events of your choosing (a handy list of options is supplied below). And you can either designate a prize for the winning team, or let the winners pick the penalty PT for the losers. But regardless, have fun and celebrate with everyone at the end!

Details:

• Minimum 4 people but this works better with 10 or more

• Zero mileage requirement, but feel free to add a distance component if you want

• Pick a few event from options below:

• Centipede Pushups

• Each team creates a single line in the pushup position (rucks on), with the first person’s feet on the shoulders of the second person. The second person’s feet will be on the shoulders of the third person, and so on. The only feet on the ground will be the last person in line. Then both teams will perform as many pushups as possible.

• Sandbag Races

• This is a relay race where each team has a sandbag (you choose the weight), and both teams are lined up behind it. Pick a distance, and then each team sends one person with the sandbag out and back, tagging the next person to do the same. You can choose how the sandbag should be carried (Zercher carry, farmer carry, bear hug carry, back rack carry, overhead carry, etc). First team to send all members out and back is the winner.

• Bear Crawl Races

• Just like the Sandbag Race, but each team will be bear crawling out and back as fast as possible with rucks on. Remember, bears don’t have knees!

• Elephant Races

• Both teams line up in a single line, each participant bends over and extends their right hand forward and their left hand through their legs. The person behind reaches forward and holds the hand of the person in front of them, so that each team is joined by hands and must walk slowly like a plodding elephant. Both teams should be sent to a waypoint and back, the first team to return wins.

• Multi-Legged Race

• This one is a team-based version of the 3-legged race. Line up the entire team and strap the left leg of one GRT to the right leg of another GRT. Then have the entire team move forward as one big line (this will be very challenging). Either pick a certain distance to cross, or a time hack to reach a certain distance.

• Pass the Worm

• Connect several sandbags together with carabiners. Stand your teammates in a line and pass the connected sandbags from one end to the other. If your team is small, the person who started the passing runs down to the end and continues the passing, then the next person moves down so that the line of people keeps shifting and the connected sandbags keep moving. THE WORM CAN NEVER TOUCH THE GROUND. Continue this to a designated endpoint and the team that reaches it first is the winner.

• Ruck Up Relay

• Participants put their rucks into a single line and then split into two teams on opposite sides. Both teams send one person at a time to the center to pick up their ruck, put it on and run back to the line. As soon as the runner returns, the second teammate runs in to get their ruck, and so on. The winning team is the first to have all members with their rucks on.

• GET CREATIVE!

• This list is by no means exhaustive, you’re free to add any kind of physical competition that works best for your club members.

• No weight requirement, use your regular training weight

• Share on social media and use #RUCKCLUBCALLOUT and tag @goruck

Flowers come and go. This patch sticks around.

The “Mom” tattoo didn’t come from a design studio, it came from the front lines. During World War II, American soldiers inked it on their arms before shipping out, a permanent reminder of home and the person who grounded them. It stood for love, loyalty, and the kind of strength you don’t question, you carry with you.

This patch carries that forward.

The Mother’s Day 5K Ruck isn’t about going fast. It’s about showing up. For the moms pushing strollers, carrying weight, wrangling chaos, and still leading from the front: this is for you. It’s a nod to the quiet toughness and relentless consistency that doesn’t always get a finish line but deserves one anyway.

Earn it the same way moms do everything else: one step at a time.

Earn It

• 5K (3.1 miles), your pace

• Bonus: ruck with your mom, your kids, your fur babies, or your crew

• Choose your weight (8–12 lbs if you’re just getting started or more if you are a seasoned #MotherRucker)