Elizabeth Strople, a Sergeant in the Florida Army National Guard, is our spotlighted runner for February!
Ironically, Elizabeth has never seen herself as a runner. In fact, she says running has been her “least favorite part of the physical fitness test we take each year in the Army.” Yet, after being mobilized from Palm Coast, Florida, to D.C. with the 1-265th Air Defense Artillery Battalion, Elizabeth says volunteering with—and then running with—Bishop’s Events has changed her relationship with the sport: “When we first arrived to D.C., I heard about volunteer opportunities and signed up immediately for Bishop’s Events on our volunteer platform.” Volunteers, like Elizabeth, help make every event go more smoothly by providing extra hands to set up, support on the course at water stations, and kudos at the start/finish line while handing out medals. During the time she volunteered with Bishop’s Events, Elizabeth spent “four weeks of training on the Nike Run Club app” before signing up for her first race. “On August 24th [2024], at the Mason District 5K, I placed third overall for Females,” she says. “I was completely hooked. What started as a drive to volunteer blossomed into running the Army 10 Miler and the Marine Corps Marathon.”
“After an injury during the Marine Corps Marathon, I took November off from running, but I am already back in the game and trying to race twice per month” with Bishop’s Events, says Elizabeth. Her favorite course is the Lake Artemesia loop in College Park, MD. When her schedule permits, she races in-person and has “podiumed every time,” placing against a competitive cohort of runners. This recognition has increased “confidence in my athletic abilities,” Elizabeth says. Her overall health has improved, too: “Running has helped me lose 25lbs very quickly,” she says, and “I earned the highest female score on our physical fitness test in October.”
Many of the races Elizabeth registers for must be completed virtually because of her demanding Army service schedule. With 75+ Lifetime Events so far, Elizabeth has made a goal of “crossing that 200th race threshold [before returning to Florida in the summer] to get my own personalized number (14, hopefully) and returning up from Florida to see the Bishop Gang for the occasional race.” When asked why she continues to return to run races with us, Elizabeth says it’s the people: “The people of Bishop’s Events that I have grown to love have kept me coming back as often as possible. Jen, Phillip, Africa, Karen, Curtis, and especially Travis himself… so many people come to mind. Runners like Walter and Maryellen are absolutely motivating.” She loves the charity partners, too, and above all else, Elizabeth says she really values when a group from the 1-265th Air Defense Artillery Battalion can make it to an event: “I enjoy the competition, but the camaraderie of having my teammates there running alongside me has to be my favorite.”
Come meet Elizabeth and the whole 1-265th Air Defense Artillery Battalion at an upcoming event! Elizabeth says, “I usually run in a Red or White Jersey that says Regiment on the front. Please come by and say Hello if you see me at one of the events.”