General Darby Challenge returns to Fort Smith

The second annual Fort Smith General Darby Challenge will be April 27, starting in Cisterna Park downtown. The event is hosted by the Fort Smith Museum of History, the new Darby House organization, and the city of Fort Smith.

The 13.1-mile ruck march, half marathon, 10K and 5K are dedicated to Gen. William O. Darby and Fort Smith’s sister cities in Italy — Cisterna and Nago-Torbole. The international sister city event coincides with Nago-Torbole’s Col. Darby 40-Mile Ranger Challenge.

The 2025 challenge will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the death of Gen. Darby, who was killed in action April 30, 1945, in Nago-Torbole, Italy, and World War II’s armistice, May 2, 1945. It will feature a Silent Mile along the Arkansas River to honor the 94 World War II Arkansans listed as killed or missing in action or near Fort Smith’s sister cities in Italy.

The event is a non-sanctioned event that is open to everyone, including citizens, those on direct military orders, active and retired military members, and ROTC and JROTC. A virtual participation option also is available.

Finisher medals will be awarded to all participants completing the challenge and special recognition will be awarded to those with the best times in their division. A sponsor dinner will be held April 26 at the Fort Smith Museum of History and will include entertainment, music, and special programming. Link here to register for the event.

All proceeds from these events will benefit the Fort Smith Museum of History and new Darby House organization.

The 2024 inaugural Darby Challenge brought $45,000 dollars to the Fort Smith tax base, said Caroline Speir, executive director of the Fort Smith Museum of History. Event records show that almost 200 participated in the event and there was $28,415.54 in total event spending, according to a press release from the museum.

DARBY HISTORY
Darby was born and raised in Fort Smith. He is credited with creating, organizing, and leading the first corps of Army Rangers — called “Darby’s Rangers,” and immortalized in a film of the same name starring James Garner as Darby. He was also known for riding a motorcycle during his service in Europe.

On April 23, 1945, during the waning days of World War II, Col. Darby found himself with an unexpected mission. Robinson Duff, the brigadier general and assistant commander of the U.S. 10th Mountain Division, was wounded in an enemy attack leaving it to Darby to take over and lead his “Task Force Darby” to the Po River valley bridgehead in Italy.

While conferring with his men one week after assuming command, Darby was one of two killed by an 88mm enemy shell that burst in the middle of the assembled officers and non-commissioned officers. Several others were injured. Task Force Darby continued on with the mission, and two days later, all German forces in Italy surrendered. Darby, who was 34 when he was killed, was posthumously promoted to brigadier general on May 15, 1945.

He was buried in Cisterna, Italy, but four years later, his body was exhumed and reinterred at Fort Smith National Cemetery. A statue of Darby in Cisterna Park was unveiled in April 2016.