Sports
Midshipmen hit road for Army Navy Game Ball Run — 460-plus miles to Foxborough
Stars and Stripes
December 5, 2023
The traditional Army Navy Game Ball Run began Tuesday on the Annapolis, Md., campus of the United States Naval Academy, and it will end Saturday morning at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., site of the 124th annual football classic. (Navy Athletics/Facebook)
The first “carry” in the Army-Navy game is going to go the distance. In this case, about 809,600 yards.
The traditional Army Navy Game Ball Run began Tuesday on the Annapolis, Md., campus of the United States Naval Academy, and it will end Saturday morning at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., site of the 124th annual football classic.
Midshipmen from the 13th Company will split the duty, each covering 8-12 miles of the 460-ish-mile trip through seven states. A runner could get up to four carries during the full trip, meaning up to 48 miles.
The tradition began in 1981, according to the Naval Academy, but this is the longest run yet.
It’s not just the Navy: The Army marathon team is expected to run a game ball from its West Point, N.Y., campus to Gillette Stadium.
Navy leads the series at 64-62-7, but Army has won five of the last seven, including last year’s thriller, 20-17 in double overtime.
Army, which defeated Air Force 23-3 on Nov. 4, can claim the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for the 10th time with a win.
The traditional Army Navy Game Ball Run began Tuesday on the Annapolis, Md., campus of the United States Naval Academy, and it will end Saturday morning at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., site of the 124th annual football classic. (Navy Athletics/Facebook)