GORUCK TOUGH CHALLENGE NORMANDY 80TH ANNIVERSARY
“Think not only upon their passing / Remember the glory of their spirit” -American Cemetery, Omaha Beach
- 10-12 Hours
- Our kind of fun with rucks on
- Always a Team Event, Never a Race
- Led by current and former Special Forces
GORUCK and our Cadre are proud to invite you to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of D-Day and Operation Overlord with us. We’ve been running events in Normandy for 12 years and it’s an experience that is best when shared, lessons learned not just in books or in movies, but experiencing it. We have a lot of different events open to all abilities for this once in a lifetime event.
OPERATIONS. GORUCK Cadre are staying in a house in Grandcamp-Maisy, and this will be where a lot of start points, end points, and festivities take place — open to participants, families — all are welcome. Normandy covers a lot of real estate and we recommend staying somewhere in between Grandcamp-Maisy and Omaha Beach. The closer to the Cadre House, the better.
The OG GORUCK Event that we’ve executed in thousands of cities worldwide since 2010. This Challenge is not for everyone. You need to train hard with a rucksack and a sandbag prior to showing up. Not so that we can test you as an individual, but so that you can better serve your team. The weight will be heavy, the distance will be long, and there is no way to get through this without the people to your left and the people to your right. Strangers at the beginning are a team by the end. This is a life changing event, a rite of passage where you will learn about yourself. You’ll learn about leadership and teamwork and you get to take that back with you to your daily life. When you successfully complete the Challenge, your Cadre will hand you a cold beer and a patch that will never be for sale.
WHAT TO BRING - REQUIRED
- A rucksack (Rucker recommended)
- must have reflectivity
- Ruck Plate (or equivalent) in your rucksack = to your weight requirement *If you weigh >150 lbs = 30 lb. Ruck Plate *If you weigh < 150 lbs = 20 lb. Ruck Plate
- Water/Hydration. 3L minimum required. Hydration Bladder and a Nalgene recommended.
- Any medication you might need
- Photo ID
- Smiles
RECOMMENDED (BUT NOT REQUIRED) ITEMS
- Gloves (1 pair) Not medical gloves, working gloves
- Extra layers of clothing. Think: merino wool socks and a shell. Pay close attention to the weather — if it’s gonna be cold, make sure you have a windbreaker
- Dry Bag (or equivalent, such as a contractor bag) for keeping everything in your ruck dry.
- A full change of clothes and shoes/flip-flops for after the event. Apres-Ruck is much nicer in flip-flops
- Supportive footwear. GORUCK recommended because it’s the best for people who carry weight and live on their feet. - Food, snacks, electrolytes as desired
- As a class, you need one (1) 25 lb. class weight and one American Flag. If you’re new to GORUCK, don’t sweat it. If you’ve done an event or ten, organize with your class — it must be in compliance with Special Forces Rule #1: Always Look Cool
Cadre Dan….Jason McCarthy handed Dan his first GR1 in February of 2011 full of bricks wrapped in a towel. Since then Dan has been pounding pavement and building better Americans as Cadre for GORUCK. Over the years, he would come up with some half decent idea that GORUCK would uses to keep Dan happy. Then GORUCK hired him full time to be the Rucking Activities Director. Fueled by Copenhagen, Coffee and pure aggression (staples in 3rd SFG) Dan loves storytime during events and doing anything outside.
The only things Cadre Hand likes better than beer, bacon and classic rock are freedom, family and the American Flag. Aaron is dedicated to building better Americans through Special Forces based teamwork (and tough love). Aaron is a U.S. Army Veteran with 21 years of service, and 13 years of combined Special Operations experience, first as an Infantryman and sniper in 3rd Ranger Battalion, and later as a Green Beret with 5th Special Forces Group.
He has deployments to Somalia, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt and Panama.
His qualifications include JFK Special Warfare Center and School Special Operations Target Interdiction Course (SOTIC), CPR, AED, Basic Lifesaver Course (BLS), Advanced Cardiovascular Lifesaver Course (ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Lifesaver Course.
After 30 years of service in the U.S. Army, over 20 of which were in Special Operations. This California kid decided to put down roots in the South, even picking up on the local colloquialism of y’all and fix’n. However, not to stray too far from his Mexi-Cali heritage, LDB does enjoy the occasional Margarita (or 2, or 3), and ordering Taco Bell in Spanish.
Combat deployments: Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Qualifications: Special Forces Advanced Reconnaissance, Target Analysis, and Exploitation Techniques Course (SFARTAETC), Special Forces Medical Sergeants Course (SFMS), Basic Lifesaver Course (BLS), Advanced Cardiovascular Lifesaver Course (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Lifesaver Course (PALS), Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC).
Serving just shy of ten years in the United States Marine Corps, Cleve served at all three Reconnaissance Battalions before making his way to 1st Force Reconnaissance Company. Cleve served on four combat deployments and has led Marines in Iraq, Afghanistan, in and around the Horn of Africa and Southeast Asia. Out of service, Cleve spends his free time traveling the world with his wife and kids and supporting combat veterans that battle from the war within.
Cleve is the brains behind the Recon Raider HTB, a series of events that pays homage to Marine Special Operations done every Fall near San Diego.