What is The Gun Run?
By Ellis
Photo credit Run N Gun Nation
The Gun Run is a two-gun centerfire biathlon. It is designed to test your physical fitness, marksmanship, and equipment. Competitors will carry their rifle, pistol, ammunition, mags and anything they believe they need to complete the course. They will travel over various distances depending on the match but most often a 5 kilometer marked course consisting of natural terrain, roads, and trails. There will be anywhere from 5 to 8 shooting stages. There are night events, two-person team events, and even a land navigation event where you must use map and compass to complete the course.
Marksmanship
Your marksmanship degrades under stress. Most shooting competitions do not have a physical component. They only test your marksmanship while rested and focused. At The Gun Run you will see how you do in a stressful situation when you are tired. Stages are designed to work specific skills or to simulate realistic combat scenarios.
Equipment
How does your equipment setup do in real world conditions? There is a ton of gear out there and lots of it looks nice and might even function OK out on the flat range on a nice dry day. How do you know those pouches will work after you crawl through the dirt or climb over a wall? The Gun Run is a valuable testing ground for your kit. Don't let some Instagram personality tell you what kit works. Come and put it through the ringer to see for yourself. Click Here for Basic Gear List.
Fitness
Carrying all your gear in 90 degree weather up and down hills is not easy. Having the best gear and being a good marksman can help but having a level of fitness where you can maneuver with gear on is extremely important. Society in general is very unhealthy and you are a liability to your friends and family if you neglect your health.
The end result of all of this is improving your training plan. Whether it be physical or on the range, every event you compete in should give you areas to work on. Sometimes new kit needs to be bought but most often it is our fitness that needs the most improvement.
This isn’t a new concept, and I did not invent run-n-gun style biathlon events. Matches like this originated in Texas 20 years ago and have spread all over the country. Prior to that, Colonial Era Americans would gather on the village green sometimes multiple times a week and conduct close order drill with rifle marksmanship competitions. Shooting is as old a past time for this country as this country is old.
What's your excuse? Can’t run? That’s ok, almost everyone walks some on the course and many will walk the entire course. Don’t have all the latest Gucci gear? That’s ok, grab some cheap stuff from a surplus shop to figure out what you like. Don’t have any guns? Well, we can’t necessarily help you there. This is not a beginner's competition. You are expected to show up with your own rifle and pistol and safely be able to operate both in an austere environment. Never had any formal training? You should probably attend a class to ensure you have a basic level of firearms safety discipline.
The Gun Run is not a CrossFit competition and it’s not USPSA. American firearms ownership isn’t about hunting or even home defense. It’s about defending your country from all enemies foreign and domestic.
Do you have what it takes? Come out and get dirty.
