Prisoner of War

Description:

Upstate Ultra is presenting its 3rd Annual Prisoner of War Ultra to be held at Camp Croft State Park in Spartanburg South Carolina. This race will bring the history of Camp Croft as an Infantry Training camp established in the 1940’s in preparation of World War II. Over 200,000 soldiers were trained at Camp Croft during that time. The majority of the soldiers trained at Croft were rifleman and as you do loops around the 8 mile course you can still hear shots being fired at the James O. Thomason Firing Range over the hill.

Many of us have family members who are in active duty or veterans of war. Many of them suffer from aspects of the war that are hard to explain. They keep them locked inside and create their own prison wall inside. As a participant of this 24 Hour Run please keep in mind the struggle that many veterans faced during and after their service.

This 7,000-acre park near downtown Spartanburg was once a United States Army training camp, giving it the name Camp Croft. The training base was established here in 1941 under the direction of then-United States Senator James F. Byrne and was named in honor of Major General Edward Croft of Greenville, a former United States Army Chief of Infantry who died in 1938. From 1941 through 1946, around 60,000 troops went through training at Camp Croft each year. The camp closed in 1947, and the land was transferred to the South Carolina Commission of Forestry for use as a state park. Camp Croft State Park opened in 1949.

Part of the proceeds will go directly to Camp Croft State Park for park and trail maintenance and the other part will go to Fellow Countryman! They are a Combat Veteran owned and operated program. They have personally experienced on numerous occasions, the sacrifices made by America’s finest men and women who’ve fought and paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend America’s way of life. Please take a few minutes to read about one of America’s Heroes that gave his life in the line of duty, so that others might live.