White Sands Missile Range Garrison Commander Colonel Donyeill Moser announced Tuesday that the 37th Annual Bataan Memorial Death March scheduled for Saturday would not include a marathon.
Moser cited expected high temperatures and inadequate medical resources as the reason for the decision, which he said in a video post on WSMR's social media, "was not made lightly". The march will take place exclusively at the 15.6 mile distance on the honorary route, which Moser said is itself a demanding route.
Participants are encouraged to "continue heat acclimatization and hydration efforts" and to consider clothing for high heat as Saturday's expected high will be in the mid-90's. Moser also recommended adjusting pace and carried weight as well as planning for a long wait at the base entrance due to heightened security posture.
All categories will still take place as planned and the start time remains 7:00 a.m. It is recommended that participants arrive at 4:30 a.m. to accommodate security measures including possible searches.
The original march followed the surrender of approximately 75,000 American and Filipino troops on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines to Japanese forces on April 9, 1942. Having fought fiercely for four months with insufficient supplies, the soldiers were already weakened by hunger and disease.
The Japanese forces forced the prisoners to march approximately 65 miles north from Mariveles, Bataan, to San Fernando, and then by rail to Capas, followed by another 7-mile march to Camp O'Donnell. The march was characterized by extreme brutality and a lack of food, water, and medical care. Prisoners were beaten, shot, or bayoneted without provocation.
An estimated 10,000 men died during the march itself, with thousands more perishing later in the horrific conditions of the POW camps. The actions were later judged by an Allied military commission to be Japanese war crimes.
You can find more information about the march right here.