Jacksonville Vet Finishes 3rd in Hand Crank Division Marathon in N.C.

By Benjamin Cox on April 17, 2024 at 5:29am

A disabled U.S. Army veteran from Jacksonville recently finished 3rd in a popular national race.

Ray Turner of Jacksonville, a veteran of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division, finished third in the hand crank division of the U.S. Coast Guard Marathon in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. It was Turner’s first marathon of the year.

Turner is taking part in the Armed Forces Series Challenge – a 5 marathon series ran every year to honor America’s branches of the armed forces and their veterans.

Turner says his next race is the Air Force Marathon on September 21st in Dayton, Ohio. Once a runner completes all 5 races, they are awarded an exclusive medal upon completion.