The Annapolis 9/11 Heroes Run is Sunday.
The event, sponsored by the Travis Manion Foundation, is held to honor and remember lives lost on 9/11, to celebrate the courage and bravery of that time, and to thank first responders and military service members.
Now in its 11th year and held in 50 cities around the world, the race series began as a short memorial run around the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium by a small group of family and friends to honor former U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Marine 1st Lt. Travis Manion.
Manion was killed in action in 2007 while saving his wounded teammates on his second tour in Iraq.
“Travis embodied the word character,” said race Director Natanya Levioff. “They wanted to continue his legacy of doing the right thing, even when no one was looking. That’s why we do a lot of work with young people.”
This year’s event in Annapolis, Maryland, will host the traveling Veterans & Athletes United Fallen Heroes Memorial from noon to 4 p.m.
The 6-foot-tall, 28-foot-wide memorial is shaped like an American flag draped over a fallen service member’s casket. It’s made of nearly 7,000 dog tags of fallen service members. The dog tags are in alphabetical order and continuously rearranged as new names are added.
The memorial’s 50 gold stars honor Gold Star families nationwide. In front of it, there’s a 10-foot-tall carved wooden replica of the battle crosses — the boots, gun and helmet displayed during memorial services held for service members who’ve been lost overseas.
The 2019 Annapolis 9/11 Heroes Run is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
To participate in the run, you can register from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Fleet Feet Sports Annapolis in the Annapolis Harbor Center. Or, on-site the day of the race between noon and 1:30 p.m.
Details about the 5K and 1M Family Fun Run and 5K GORUCK division can be found on the organization’s website.
The Baltimore 9/11 Heroes Run is Sept. 29 at 9 a.m. The start and finish lines are at West Shore Park. The run follows a path around the Inner Harbor. Registration is now open.
Race registration fees and donations support programs of the Travis Manion Foundation.
“Not just the character education program, but also our work with veterans and families of fallen heroes,” Levioff said.
