The David E. Grange Jr. Best Ranger Competition began in 1982, when the Ranger Training Department designed a "Ranger Olympics" to identify the best two-man team in the Army. Over the years it has expanded to include members from other services such as the Marines and occasionally members from foreign military units. Best Ranger Competition is the original Amazing Race and Survivor where teams definitely have to “Out Last” each other in this grueling fitness and skill competition.
In 1986 my husband, an Army Ranger, competed in this competition and is still something he watches religiously on The Military Channel, however in the past it could be seen on ESPN and The Outdoor Life Network. The conditioning of the men who compete in this competition is compared to that of world-class athletes. Besides testing the participant’s military skills, it also tests endurance, strength and mental fortitude. The competition is done over 60 hours, day and night, of non-stop events where the participants get little rest or food.
Best Ranger Competition involves running, swimming, push-ups, pull-ups and navigating grueling obstacle courses among many other events that you often find in the Iron Man competition. The intensity and duration of the event sequences pushes even the most elite Special Operations troops, who are at the peak of physical fitness, to the point of physical exhaustion. One such event, that is also a crowd favorite, is the Helo Cast. The Helo Cast involves jumping from a helicopter over water in full uniform and with all of your equipment keeping it afloat and swimming to shore, which is immediately followed up by the next event.
As with most fitness events, Best Ranger Competition also has its sponsors such as DuPont, Geico and SKYDEX, who also happened to be the company that provided impact protection for stunts in the James Bond Movie, Casino Royale.
If you are looking to watch an event that represents true endurance in physical fitness, then the Best Ranger Competition is the one to watch.
