On March 20-22, 2020, in an apolitical reflection of remembrance, a team of runners will complete a 150 mile run to honor Arkansas service members who have died while serving since September 11, 2001. This will be our 9th annual event. Each mile of the run is dedicated to an Arkansas Hero. The run team stops at every marker where they present an American Flag and a biographical card in honor of a fallen service member in an effort to create a 150 mile memorial trail through Arkansas.
The run begins in Ozark, Arkansas and ends 153 miles later on the steps of the state Capitol. Each of the first 150 miles of the run is dedicated to an Arkansas Hero. The run team stops at each marker where they present an American Flag and a biographical card in honor of a fallen service member in an effort to create a 150 mile memorial trail through Arkansas.
The core run team is all active duty military. Each active duty military team qualifies and trains to run their segment of the run. The public is invited to come out on the route to encourage and cheer these military members as they run to remember their fallen brothers and sisters.
Because of safety concerns, the public part of the run happens once the team crosses the Big Dam Bridge in Little Rock. At that point, anyone wanting to join the run team for a final 5K as they finish this 140 mile journey can register and become a part of this journey.
Runners for the 5k will report to the state Capitol for check in and be transported to join the active duty team as they come into town. All runners will then make their way to the steps of the state Capitol. This is not a race. There will be no timing chips or winners. Everyone runs together as a team to honor our fallen heroes. The pace is approximately a 10 minute mile.
You can find detailed information about the heroes who will be honored and the location of their memorial mile here. The memorial run will finish on Sunday, March 22nd with a final 5K that is open to the public followed by a memorial ceremony at 2:30 PM.
To find out more about our heroes or view the run route, please visit www.arkansasrunforthefallen.org