Earlier this month, five executives of Bridgepoint Education, Inc. (NYSE:BPI), a provider of postsecondary education services, took part in a 10K race to support the military. “Team Bridgepoint,” made up of Andrew Clark, chief executive officer; Rocky Sheng, senior vice president and chief administrative officer; Chris Spohn, senior vice president and chief admissions officer; Ryan Craig, a member of the board of directors; and Thomas Ashbrook, senior vice president and chief information officer, participated in the Camp Pendleton Mud Run. Part of the 2009 Hard Corps Race Series, the event supports the Marine Corps Community Services, which funds quality-of-life programs for Marines, Sailors, and their families.
The event took place on Saturday, June 6, at Lake O’Neill, located on the Camp Pendleton Marine Base in north San Diego County, with a total of two hours and forty-five minutes allotted for course completion. The race involves a series of challenges that include hills, tire obstacles, river crossings, two 5-foot walls with mud on both sides, a tunnel crawl, a slippery hill climb, and a final 30-foot mud pit. Participants are divided into individual and team categories, further divided into age brackets and, finally, separated into military and civilian groups.
Due to the complexity of the course, participation was limited to 4,000 athletes and all spots were filled months before the date of the race. Everyone, from first-time participants to seasoned athletes, was allowed to compete. Awards went to the top three overall finishers in each division within both the military and civilian brackets.
According to Ashbrook, “The event was made even better by the teamwork and camaraderie of Team Bridgepoint. While some may consider us foolish daredevils, the experience was invigorating.”
“At the end of the day,” added Ashbrook, “Team Bridgepoint didn’t need any medals to validate the success of the event. For us, simply having the ability to contribute and make a difference while enjoying ourselves was a reward in and of itself.”
The Mud Run is just one of several events in Camp Pendleton’s 2009 Hard Corps Race Series. This was Bridgepoint Education’s first year to participate.
About Bridgepoint Education
Bridgepoint Education’s postsecondary education services focus on offering associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in the disciplines of business, education, psychology, social sciences and health sciences. Bridgepoint Education’s regionally accredited academic institutions – Ashford University and University of the Rockies – deliver their programs online as well as at traditional campuses located in Clinton, Iowa, and Colorado Springs, Colorado, respectively. For more information, please visit www.bridgepointeducation.com or call Shari Rodriguez, Director of Public Relations, at 858/668-2580.
About Camp Pendleton Hard Corps Race Series
For the past 10 years, the Camp Pendleton Hard Corps Race Series has worked to raise money to support quality-of-life programs for our Marines, Sailors, and their families by inspiring and challenging its participants through a series of demanding and taxing races. This race series brings people together through the exhilarating battle to become Southern California’s Top All-Around Athlete within four respective divisions. For more information, call 760/725-6836 or visit http://www.camppendletonraces.com/.