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BARNSTABLE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Replicating the challenges that veterans, service members, and military families face, a Cape Cod couple will be running in intervals for the whole weekend.
Nicole Spencer and John Alexander of Cape Cod said they are partaking in the Goggins Challenge, a reoccurring four mile run every four hours over the course of 48 hours, to raise funds and awareness for Heroes in Transition, a non-profit that provides assistance to veterans that usually not available through other programs.
The 4x4x48 or the Goggins Challenge, named after Iraq War veteran and ultra-marathon runner David Goggins, began at 11 p.m. Friday night. HIT Executive Director Spencer has run the stretch before, as she did the challenge last year while wearing an additional rucksack through every Cape Cod town.
"In comparison to what our men and women of the Armed Forces have to go through, I can’t even imagine,” Spencer said to HIT. “We’re just running. Our life isn’t on the line. Our service members, they don’t have the option to quit.”
Alexander served in the Army and Army National Guard, and is a sergeant with the Barnstable Police. Alexander said that this was his first time running in a 4x4x48, something that he wanted to do to raise money for the HIT's programs.
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HIT's website listed the different programs available for veterans, like Women's Reboot, Direct Veteran Support, and Couple Gatherings & Retreats, which Alexander said he himself has taken part of, becoming an HIT Veterans Coordinator and Facilitator for a couple's group.
"My wife and I, we sorta went through some ups and downs related to my service- but we managed to get through it. We take couple's groups to try and build our community beyond service, beyond their unit," Alexander said.
Spencer and Alexander also said since they started in 2016, they would be running in Ruck4HIT, a run in which they trek 25-30 miles while wearing a weighted rucksack over the course of 36 hours, on HIT's biggest fundraisers for the year. Donations can be made to HIT here.
"When one of us is lagging and we don't have the unit to call on anymore- we call on each other," Alexander said.
The deadline to sign up for Ruck4HIT was Saturday, March 5.
WBZ's Shari Small (@ShariSmallNews) reports.
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