Twenty-five years after September 11, 2001, tens of thousands of runners, walkers, and ruckers are lacing up across the country this month to remember. The Travis Manion Foundation's 9/11 Heroes Run returns for its 19th year, with more than 60,000 participants expected across 100-plus communities nationwide in a race series running from September 5 into October, according to the foundation's announcement. For a community built around showing up at start lines together, it's one of the most meaningful weeks on the calendar.
A Race Named for a Promise
The event honors 1stLt Travis Manion, a Marine officer killed in Iraq in 2007 while helping his wounded teammates to safety. Before his final deployment, he left behind the words that now define the foundation carrying his name: "If Not Me, Then Who..." Nearly two decades later, that line still opens every 9/11 Heroes Run, connecting the memory of the September 11 attacks to the generation of service members who went to war in their aftermath.
What began as a single local race has grown into one of the largest volunteer-led memorial run series in the country, with courses that welcome active-duty troops, veterans, first responders, Gold Star families, and civilians side by side.
New This Year: Rucking Joins the Course
For 2026, the 9/11 Heroes Run series is partnering with GORUCK to add a rucking division at every stop, giving participants the option to complete the course with a weighted rucksack in a nod to the training methods used by Special Forces. Paralympic athlete and combat veteran Rob Jones is also joining select races along the route, including stops in Tempe, Charleston, Pennsauken, West Chester, Lithia, and Atlanta, plus a nationwide virtual run/ruck on September 11 itself.
Where to Find a Race Near You
With events staggered across September and into October, there's still time to register. Confirmed dates include Boston on September 5, the El Paso 9/11 Heroes Run on September 9, and a cluster of races on September 12 in Las Vegas, Houston, Raritan, and Philadelphia. Northern Virginia follows on September 13, Phoenix on September 19, and Virginia Beach closes out the month on September 26. The full list of 100-plus host communities is available on the Travis Manion Foundation's event page.
Whether it's a 5K, a ruck, or a one-mile fun run with the kids, these races are exactly the kind of community event Operation WarriorFit exists to help veterans, service members, and first responders reach without a registration fee standing in the way. If you're eligible and looking for your next start line, check your eligibility and browse our full race list to find one near you this fall.