07/07/2026
ATTENTION EVERYONE! 😁 BELOW THIS TOP POST IS WHERE YOU WILL FIND EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW and DO TO EARN THE DIY DARBY 40 MILER CHALLENGE COIN. EVERYTHING!
And the reason why this special page was created was because too many 173rd Airborne Brigade soldiers either missed out or were denied the opportunity to attend this year’s 30 April 2026 - Col. Darby 40 Miler event. And I wanted to give them a chance to still walk and earn the Col. Darby 40-Mile challenge coin, but on their own time off.
Well, not only did quite a few come out to walk it on their time off from 31 May through 6 July, but some non-173rd members/units did too. And this latest 6 July 2026 European Stars & Stripes online newspaper article is just one of the units that came out to earn their coin. See the S & S article below. 😉
Though these six US soldiers from Germany were non-airborne / non-combat arm soldiers. They were among the very few groups who successfully completed it in 12 hours as an intact group. How were they able to accomplish it successfully? 🤔
Unlike other units, groups, and buddy teams, who began their 40-mile trek between 05:30 and 07:30 in the morning. Instead, they chose to start their march at 03:30 to make the most of the day’s coolness.
So, by midday (12:00), when it started getting really hot, they had already covered 30 of the 40 miles before reaching the first of six tunnels. Where it would be quite shady and breezy, created by the passing of vehicles inside the tunnels.
And most importantly, their group leader (CPT Pino) pretty much wanted to keep them together without leaving anyone behind. And when you have a strong, caring leader in front of you, it can make a huge difference, commonly known as “leading by example.”
Now, due to this 6th July European S & S newspaper article, I am quite certain there will be many more who will want to walk it too.
And so, what I am willing to do is post another “window of opportunity ” (set of dates) so anyone can walk. But it won’t be in July or August; instead, probably between mid-Sept and October 30th.
So, for those of you who are still interested in earning the Col. Darby 40 Miler Challenge Coin. To keep up to date, just keep logging on to our DIY DARBY 40 MILES page. And also the main page: The Col. Darby Annual April 30th 40 x Mile - 12 x Hr Ranger Challenge.
Stay tuned for more updates. Hooah?
Six U.S. service members took on a 40-mile hike in Italy in honor of the Army Rangers’ first commander, who was killed nearby in World War II.
