From the Archives: Feb. 15, 1963.

Redwood High School burst into national prominence last Monday when 400 students accepted a Presidential challenge to the U.S. Marine Corps to walk 50 miles in 20 hours.

Ninety-seven students completed the trip which started at 5 o’clock Monday morning and ended with the arrival of the last student hiker at 11:30 Monday evening, 18 and one-half hours later.

The hike received massive coverage in evey Bay Area newspaper, extensive time on local television, and hourly accounts on radio stations throughout California.  Seniors Louise Abbot and Carol Herschleb reported periodically over the air to radio stations KSFO and KCBS.

AP and UPI Wires

The Associated Press and United Press International also distributed dispatches and wire photos by teletype across the nation.

By Tuesday morning, Redwood High School was being mentioned in national newscasts and articles that had been made ready for publication in both LIFE and TIME magazines, according to their San Francisco office.  News media also announced on Tuesday that President Kennedy’s physical fitness committee had asked that only Marines embark on such hikes because they felt that others were not properly conditioned.

Jim Troppmenn, student body president and organizer of the hike, had wired Kennedy’s press secretary, Pierre Salinger, last Thursday that students were planning the Monday hike “to prove that we are physically fit.”

Two Mile Line

The two-mile line of Redwood hikers was led by members of the 14th Marine Corps of Kentfield who set the pacer for the 400 students.

Only two Marines made it to the finish line.

The procession headed for Point Reyes in western Marin County and was ahead of schedule most of the way walking a brisk five miles an hour.  The route followed by the procession started at Redwood, continued through Fairfax, over White’s Hill to Woodacre, San Geronimo, and to Point Reyes.  By the time the marchers reached Point Reyes, the half way point, half of the students had dropped out from fatigue.

Four Finish First

Seniors Diane Hartman, Louise Abbott, Dawn Urbais, and Judy Coy aided weary hikers by passing out Tootsie Rolls, oranges, lemons, milk, water, Band-aids, disinfectants, and offering encouragement from their car.

Pat Pederson, a Redwood junior, Keith Kreiger, from Tamalpais High School, Sigurd Hope, also from Tamalpais, and Jack Johnston, a sophomore at Drake, were the first boys to finish.  Diane Congden, a junior at Terra Linda High, was the first girl to finish.  The four boys completed the 50-mile trip in 12 hours and Miss Congden finished in 13 hours.

The 400 Redwood students embarked on the 50-mile trek despite stern warnings issued by Dr. Arnold Nutting, the school’s physician.