Run To Honor

Swim To Honor 2012

2011-10-25T22:17:00.002-04:00

Due to the great success of our fall event, the Run To Honor Marine Corp Marathon and 10k, Run To Honor has decided to add another way for us to gather in remembrance of our fallen classmates. The Great Chesapeake Bay Swim (GCBS) is one of America's premier open water swim challenges. The annual event is scheduled for June 10, 2012 and consists of a 4.4 mile swim across Maryland's Chesapeake Bay. The race starts from the shores of Sandy Point State Park, which is about 5 miles northeast of Annapolis. The course extends eastward between the two spans of the William Preston Lane, Jr., Memorial Bridge (U.S. Highway 50) and finishes at a small sandy beach on Kent Island immediately south of the Bridge eastern-shore causeway adjacent to Hemingway's Restaurant. There is also an option to enter the 1-mile swim for those who still want to Swim To Honor, but may not feel inclined to spend 2-3 hours in the water! After this exciting event, we will gather on the Eastern Shore at Hemingway's and have hoist a brew, or two (!), to graduates who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Details on the post race gathering will follow in the spring. Questions? Please email swimtohonor@gmail.com.

Deadlines to enter this fantastic event are rapidly approaching. If you would like to conquer the 4.4 mile swim, registration opens on Nov. 1st at 8am. This event has a participation limit and you will be notified if your name has been randomly selected on January 4th. The 1 mile swim registration begins on February 1st, 2012. Please read the specific entry procedures and register for both swims at www.lin-mark.com.

Register for the Memorial Dinner!

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Please join us the this year's Memorial Dinner at the Loew's in Annapolis on Friday, October 28th at 7 p.m. At the Memorial Dinner we gather together to honor our fallen Naval Academy shipmates. ALL alumni, and friends and family of alumni, are invited and encouraged to attend. Participation in the Marathon or 10k is not necessary, and while the meal will be runner friendly, this is not just a "pre run" dinner. This dinner is about the honorees - those whose name grace the walls of Memorial Hall.

http://runtohonor2011.eventbrite.com/

Marathon Training Program

2011-07-26T10:18:00.002-04:00

From the Running Director...please check out this link to see a recommended marathon training plan. Please email me at rth.runner@gmail.com if you have any questions!

Run To Honor - Shamrock

2011-03-23T21:38:00.001-04:00

We had our first ever Shamrock Run To Honor event the weekend of March 19-20th. Kara Dumont and Dave Paddock organized this inaugural outing. We will be back bigger and better next year! Check out our Facebook Fan Page - www.facebook.com/runtohonor - for more pictures (no Facebook account required.)

Calling all Runners

2011-02-15T13:17:00.003-05:00

Registration for the Marine Corps Marathon is available for active duty right now and will be open to the public on 23 February*. Register as soon as you can! For those who are new to Run To Honor, we do not require you to register through our charity. Just register as you normally would, through the MCM website, and let us know that you'll be running. We'll add you to our distro and you'll be invited to all our events (memorial dinner, pre-race gatherings, post-race tent, etc). During the summer, we'll again give everyone the opportunity to order one of the famous Run To Honor shirts.
Have fun starting your training programs!

*"The 2011 registration date falls on the anniversary of the American flag raisings during the Battle of Iwo Jima. According to the Marine Corps History Division at Marine Corps University, the American flag was raised 66 years ago on Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945, while the battle ensued. As a larger American flag was raised several hours later atop Mount Suribachi, it was famously captured by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, and continues to be immortalized by the Marine Corps War Memorial located in Rosslyn, VA."

Special Shirt Order!

2011-02-05T17:17:00.004-05:00

The special "Run To Honor" shirt order is closed. Those who ordered the green Shamrock shirt should be receiving it by early March. Those who ordered the black Shipmate cover shirt should expect to receive it around mid-March.

http://runtohonor-shirts.eventbrite.com/

Run To Honor 2010 Wrap-up

2010-12-05T13:50:00.009-05:00

Run To Honor Team,

Thank you for participating in and supporting the 2010 Run To Honor! This was our biggest year yet, with the widest class involvement and the most honoree family members in attendance at the Memorial Dinner (where we had a capacity crowd of two hundred!)

Our December newsletter (link active until Jan 5, 2011) includes inspiring stories from this year's event and profiles of some of our participants and participant groups.

We also have an article discussing the positive support we have received from the Naval Academy Alumni Association as RTH has evolved. We want to call special attention to this month's Shipmate, which includes a story on several events that commemorate fallen grads, including Run To Honor, called "A Reason to Run." This story is accompanied by a video. You will also see that Shipmate editors chose an RTH cover photo taken by Carolyn Andros (congratulations Carolyn!) Shipmate chose the photo based on its quality, artistry, and message. This speaks to Carolyn's talent as well as the impact that you all, the Run To Honor Team, have had on the larger USNA community. Your involvement and our collective efforts are raising awareness of honoring and celebrating our fallen shipmates.

At this year's Memorial Dinner, ADM Charles Larson ('58), Superintendent for 15,000 Midshipmen during his two tours at USNA, gave a thoughtful, moving speech. And once again, Jim Loreto put together an inspiring Memorial Dinner Video Slideshow.

As a final note, we want to sincerely thank our major sponsors for 2010: First Command Financial Services, Under Armour, and Hunton and Williams. Without their support the event would not have been possible.

We welcome feedback of any kind on this year's event and ideas for next year. Keep your eyes open for information on 2011 activities! If you are not on our mailing list and would like to be, send us an email at runtohonor@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Giovanna Kostrubala, USNA '95
Jeff Webb, USNA '95
Run To Honor Co-Chairs
runtohonor@gmail.com
Run To Honor Blog

USNAAA and Run To Honor

2010-12-04T19:34:00.004-05:00

People regularly ask if Run To Honor is affiliated with the Naval Academy or the Naval Academy Alumni Association. It is not – RTH is a 501(c)(3) founded by USNA grads who enjoy participating in athletic events for the purpose of honoring fallen shipmates.

The Naval Academy Alumni Association has been kind enough to highlight RTH’s efforts over the years through Shipmate, Wavetops, and the President’s Blog. And at this year’s Memorial Dinner, we were fortunate to be joined by Byron Marchant, Bob Hofford, and Noreen Frenaye.

Byron Marchant, CEO of the Naval Academy Alumni Association (USNA ’78), addressed the two hundred dinner attendees and emphasized both the commitment of the Alumni Association to our fallen and wounded, as well as the importance of Alumni-driven community activities such as Run To Honor.

Bob Hofford (CAPT, USN retired, and USNA ’61) has a special and solemn duty for the Alumni Association. As Special Projects Director, he is the one who ensures that within 24 hours of the notification of an operational loss, the names of the fallen are inscribed on the Annual Loss Panel in Memorial Hall at the Naval Academy. Twice a year these names are moved from the Annual Loss Panel to the Class panels.

Noreen Frenaye is the Alumni Services Manager for the Alumni Association. She not only joined the dinner, but ran the Marine Corps 10k as well with the Class of '77 group.

Alumni Association correspondents covered race day activities. Communications Manager Ashley Klimp and Director of Communications Kristen Pironis were in the starting area at 7 a.m. to interview participants and learn about our purpose. The result was the Reason To Run video and article, which highlight not only Run To Honor but other terrific events such as the 9/11 Heroes Run, organized by the Travis Manion Foundation, and the Megan McClung Memorial Run.

We offer our thanks to Byron, Bob, Noreen, Ashley, and Kristen for their service to all USNA Alumni, their dedication to the memory of our fallen and wounded Alumni, and their support of Run To Honor.

Marathoner Essay - "What the MCM Meant to Me"

2010-11-25T11:17:00.003-05:00

I always thought the marathon was just an absurd distance. I've run quite a lot in the past, but never really figured I would do a marathon. I ran a 12K cross-country race years ago, but kind of thought that would be the longest. Then my brother asked if anyone wanted to try and qualify for Boston and run it with him so I figured, as the most serious runner in the family, that I ought to see if I couldn't pull it together well enough to do that. Since my friend Jeff Webb had run MCM several times and was planning to again, I figured why not do that one? Even if it was three days before my wife was due with our first child!

As a child, I was dead set on going to the Air Force Academy and flying F-15's (I was too much of a sissy to contemplate crashing jets onto carrier decks) but thought my imperfect vision would have kept me out. I've always wanted to be in the military and still feel that something is missing having never served in uniform. I have and will always have nothing but respect for those that do and have served. I'll never forget the three-volley salute at my grandfather's funeral (former Navy) and it really struck me how something he'd done so many decades before could still be so powerful.

So running the marathon around all the Marines and other service members added a great deal to the experience from the very beginning. But I have to admit I felt somewhat awkward wearing the "Run To Honor" shirt and having folks ask where and when I served and having to just point to Jeff and say "I'm with him."

But as the race went on and I saw more and more of the guys who'd lost a leg and were arm-biking through the race or the people who were running to honor someone who'd fallen or someone who couldn't complete the marathon or were running because it helped them handle the difficulties they'd faced, it started to lend a new meaning to what I was doing.

As we got deeper and deeper into the race and my quads started letting me know that they weren't at all happy with my idiocy in running a marathon with far too little preparation, the idea of being a part of something other than my own race became more and more important. The shouts of encouragement from other runners and from folks on the sideline gained importance as I felt worse and worse.

The lack of preparation on my part was so different from other important races I'd trained for and in some ways I just wasn't invested in this race, to the point where I had told myself it wasn't a "race" but just an effort to qualify for Boston. So as I was trying to deal with the end of the race where I just didn't want to keep going, the idea of wanting to honor folks that I've never met but who've sacrificed everything for all of us started to make up for my own weakness.

Finishing the race and having a Marine put a medal around my neck and congratulate me meant a great deal. Meeting Admiral Kristensen and then taking the time after I got home to look up again the story of his son (Erik Kristensen, USNA ’95) made the entire experience so much more meaningful.

After finally squeezing myself into my car to drive home, I started thinking about wanting to do the race again next year and wanting to make sure and train for it because I don't feel like I did the race justice. But even what I did do seemed to contribute to something bigger, something that Run To Honor and the MCM are all about.

I don't know how things will shake out, the new addition to our family obviously changes things, but hopefully I'll be able to run the marathon again and I'd be so proud to wear a Run To Honor shirt again. It was fantastic to go from throwing on a shirt because Jeff asked me to to feeling like my effort was worth something to people who've given so much for the freedoms and lives that we enjoy.

Editors note: JB is a high school English teacher at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore PA. He was also a collegiate National Champion and All American in both Cross Country and Track at Haverford College.

Remote Participant Highlight

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Bill Connor – They don’t call him “Wild Bill” for nothing. Bill Connor (USNA ’95), Run To Honor plankowner, likes to do things the hard way. In the inaugural RTH event in 2007, Bill decided to wear utilities pants (aka “utes”), boots, and for good measure, body armor (not Under Armour….BODY armor – with plates.) In 2008, Bill took a RTH hiatus to compete in the Ironman World Championship in Kona. He trained for said Ironman on deployment in Iraq, running in the sand, riding a bike trainer in a tent, and using stretch bands to simulate swimming. Oh, and on race day, and he wore utes, boots, and a Kevlar helmet on the bike, and utes and boots on the run. In 2009, not to be outdone by himself, Bill donned a 34 lb rucksack (on top of….you guessed it, utes and boots) for the Marine Corps Marathon.

In 2010, Bill decided to spoil himself and do an endurance event in plain old shorts and shoes. Lest you think he is getting soft, he chose to run in the 2500^th anniversary of THE orginanal marathon, from Marathon to Athens. This little jaunt includes only one hill – from mile 10 to 20.

Bill does all of these things to honor his fallen classmates and to raise money for the Semper Fi Fund. Hats off to Bill for his continued commitment to the memory of his shipmates, and for his service to our nation with his multitude of deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Run To Honor “Gut Check” 2010 - LCDR Brian Erickson

2010-11-25T11:10:00.002-05:00

The epic nature of the marathon ensures that there are as many interesting stories as there are runners. This year, RTH participant LCDR Brian Erickson (call sign “Rookie”) showed unbelievable mettle and determination to get to the finish line. Here is the story of his “gut check.”

The 35^th Marine Corps Marathon

“Sightseeing at the Capitol”

Viewing the monuments is only one of many reasons that the MCM has become one of the nations’ most popular marathons. Of course it was one of the many reasons I had chosen to run the 35^th MCM, but I would argue one of the least important. For me the MCM had larger allure especially in the post 9/11 world that has profoundly shaped my naval career. Introduced to the MCM as a Midshipman I had been looking for an opportunity to run the marathon for years. Finally, stationed in the D.C. area after 15-years with a tour at the Pentagon, I jumped at the opportunity to run.

As I lined up for the start, taking in the pageantry, the mounted Marine color guard, fly-bys, national anthem and the Commandant of the Marine Corps, I took pause to reflect on my own inspirations for running. Wearing my symbolic maroon “Run to Honor” t-shirt inscribed with my USNA class year, I dedicated my MCM run to my fallen classmates. I focused on my goal to beat the 1993 MCM finishing time of my former roommate LTjg Bruce “Popeet” Donald. Some 17 years after Popeet had run a 3:38 MCM, I arrived at the start of my second marathon feeling confident and ready. Little did I anticipate my Run to Honor that would follow.

At the gun I was off, feeling the rush of anticipation of 4 months of training and 17 years of waiting for my first MCM attempt. By the time I hit the crowds at Georgetown I could already sense that I was running into trouble. At the nine mile mark, my run was not going quite as expected. I remarked to a training partner I was running with, “today is going to be an absolute gut check”. Having completed one previous marathon, I did not expect an easy day, but I was not expecting to be “sightseeing” from the pavement at the U.S. Capitol - which is exactly what happened next.

Coming around the turn on the National Mall at the reflecting pool by the capitol, my left quadriceps began to spasm forcing me to walk and very quickly forcing me to the concrete writhing in pain. I had seized up like an old car running without oil, my quad continued spasm and remained flexed for several minutes. This section of the MCM route was very sparse with spectators and only a course photographer paused to inquire if I needed assistance. The only response I could muster was a muffled grunt as I attempted to figure out a way to release my quad to ease my pain and ultimately get back in the marathon. I stumbled to my feet in an attempt to continue, my left leg still severely cramping. I “peg-leg” walked a few yards to signal the assistance of a young Marine Corporal on the course. He assisted me to a medical cart where I laid in pain and utter dismay on how my MCM was unfolding, attempting to come to grip that my lofty 3:30 finish had slipped away and the thought of posting of a dreaded DNF - “Did Not Finish”. Had this been any other marathon on any other day, I’m almost certain that would have been the end of my race day.

The Marine stretched my legs to relieve the spasm and after a few minutes I was able to regain my feet. With a daunting 8 miles remaining I decided this would not be my finish for the MCM. I drew inspiration from the MCM itself as well as the Run to Honor cause – the cause by which I was supposed to be inspiring others. I made my way back to the race and walked on. Ridiculously painful at first, I chose not to focus on the 8 miles remaining, instead to get to the next water station. After the water station, exiting the mall, I decided to run. Extremely painful but not much worse than walking, I was able to run across the dreaded 14^th street bridge at an 8:30 minute pace. However, entering Crystal City the muscle cramps returned, this time to both legs. Imploring a random spectator from the crowd to assist me, I laid down on the side of the road to have the spectator stretch my legs to relieve the muscle cramps. I would repeat the walk, run, muscle cramp, and random spectator stretch process another three or four times.

Attempting to finish strong as I passed the 26 mile point, I came upon my wife, who had been waiting for an hour past my goal finishing time. With her encouragement I shuffled up the notorious final hill to the Iwo Jima Monument. I crossed the finish line with both legs cramped to the point where I could not walk and keenly aware that each one of my fellow marathoners had completed their own amazing journey. I acknowledged as I finished that each one of the spectators were cheering for someone, remembering someone, or honoring someone. The Marine Corps Marathon is truly a “Run to Honor” and to be surrounded with so many inspirational stories and people is humbling. My MCM was one infinitesimally small fight to finish something I was inspired to do by great sacrifices made by USNA classmates and all service members past, present, and future. My MCM punctuated for me that the “Run to Honor” is made in remembrance of the great individual sacrifices made by the few that sacrifice in service to our country for the benefit of all.

The Run to Honor interweaves for me of a catch phrase that I adopted from one of my Naval War College professors, to be an “Officer of Consequence”. To make a difference, to be value added to the room you are in. I firmly believe that we are all a combination of our genetic makeup colored by our experiences. These experiences inspire me to be a better father, a better husband, a better citizen, a better Naval Office. It is my intent everyday to be a person of consequence and deepen, as Admiral Larson remarked at the 2010 Run to Honor Dinner, “the strategic investment in America’s future”.

Lying on my back taking in the sights of the Capitol at mile 18 was not how I envisioned my MCM finishing, thanks to the inspirational event that is the MCM and the “Run to Honor”, it was not how it ended. The Run to Honor and the MCM expierence inspired me to finish, tomorrow it will continue to inspire me to be better.

Class of '77

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Under the leadership of Hank Donigan, The Class of ’77 made its debut at Run To Honor 2010 with a bang. Hank attended the RTH dinner in 2009 and resolved that in 2010 his class would have at least one runner on the road for each of his class’s fourteen fallen shipmates.

Mission accomplished. With the strongest showing of any class other than the founding class (’95), the Class of ’77 proved that the ties that bind classes remain powerful even 37 years after they are first established at I-Day.

Team ’77 had seven marathoners and fourteen 10k runners on the road for race day, as well as twenty-two attendees to the Memorial Dinner.

Hank had this to say about ‘77’s involvement in Run To Honor: “We have been inspired by the Class of '95 and we appreciate their continued leadership. Team '77 looks forward to further honoring our fallen alumni and we hope to put the esprit and leadership of the Class of '77 to bring all classes with whom we shared time with at USNA into the Run to Honor family.”

The enthusiasm of the Class of ’77 was on full display this year and we expect that will continue to be the case for years to come!

Photography

2010-11-25T10:07:00.005-05:00

Once again, Carolyn Andros did an amazing job capturing Run To Honor through photographs. Please find her gallery here. If you would like a digital copy of a photograph, please email us at runtohonor@gmail.com with the number of the photograph(s). If there is urgency to your request, please tell us, because it will take us some time to process what will surely be an avalanche of requests due to the quality of Carolyn’s work.

Carolyn shot the inaugural Run To Honor event, and has been our lead photographer for three of our four years. Her interest in photography began as a child, but her free time growing up was mostly dedicated to competitive swimming. Her swimming thrived at the Naval Academy, where she was team captain, received the Naval Academy Sword for outstanding female athlete in her graduating class, and won four of all the above: Varsity letters, N-Stars, Patriot League individual titles, and Patriot league relay titles. Upon graduation, Carolyn served as an EOD Officer.

She began her photography career in 2004 under the tutelage of Phil Hoffman, lead photographer for the Naval Academy Athletic Association and the Baltimore Ravens. Working with Phil gave Carolyn the chance to develop an expertise in sports photography. Her interests have since expanded to include both family and landscape photography. See her amazing work at her website here.

2010 Run To Honor Post-Race Tent

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For printing, click on the picture below and print from your browser.

2010 Marathon Pre-Race Photo Location

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For printing, click on the picture below and print from your browser.

2010 10k Pre-Race Photo Location

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For printing, click on the picture below and print from your browser.

Run to Honor Newspaper Article

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The Annapolis Capitol Gazette featured Run to Honor in a recent article - check it out here.

Also, it's not too late to register for the dinner, but it will be soon! See the link below for more info.

http://runtohonor2010.eventbrite.com

Dinner is at 7 p.m. at Loew's Hotel in Annapolis on Friday, October 29th, and dress is casual.

Making a Contribution

2010-09-07T23:27:00.006-04:00

Run to Honor is a memorial event, not a fundraising event, designed to celebrate the memory of USNA Alumni whose names grace the plaques in Memorial Hall.

However, we have had inquiries from those wishing to support a Run to Honor Marathon or 10k participant by making a contribution to Run to Honor.

If you are so inclined, please feel free to make a contribution via paypal to runtohonor@gmail.com, OR, to mail a check to our treasurer:

Run To Honor
c/o Lynne Malinowski
2005 Victoria Drive
Stafford, VA 22554

Contributions to Run to Honor help us pay for expenses related to the Memorial Dinner, including dinner and Run to Honor merchandise that we provide to family members of honorees.

We have filed for tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Run to Honor's 501(c)(3) status is currently pending a determination letter from the IRS. Any donations made on or after August 17, 2010 may be tax-exempt.

Run to Honor Update

2010-08-28T23:07:00.002-04:00

Marathon registration is now closed. 10k registration is still open and available at www.marinemarathon.com.

The Run to Honor shirt order is done, BUT, if you missed out, there will be shirts available for sale at the Memorial Dinner at the Loew's in Annapolis on October 29th, 2010. You can register for the dinner at:

http://runtohonor2010.eventbrite.com

Run To Honor Registration and Shirt Orders

2010-05-31T13:38:00.001-04:00

Run To Honor Registration, Memorial Dinner Registration, Shirt Orders: All of these are being administered through EventBrite.

http://runtohonor2010.eventbrite.com

a. Register for Run To Honor: Even if you are not attending any events this year, please register as part of our Run To Honor group. This helps us keep our contact lists up to date. If you care to make a contribution to support our operations, you can do so in the information registration area.

b. Purchase Tickets for the Memorial Dinner: This year’s dinner will occur at the Loew’s Hotel in Annapolis on Friday, 29 October, starting at 7pm. We are pleased to announce that Admiral Charles Larson, USN (ret.) will be our guest speaker. Admiral Larson served as Superintendent of the Naval Academy from 1983-1986, and again from 1994-1998. The dinner festivities will include remarks by ADM Larson as well as a memorial program. The Memorial Dinner will be casual dress and feature a pre-race appropriate meal for our runners.

c. Purchase Race Shirts and/or Sweatshirts: Once again, Under Armour (via Shana Gritsavage, USNA '97) is generously supporting Run To Honor by subsidizing shirt costs. This year, we’re offering new shirts and premium pieces. Like last year, the front of the shirts will have RUN TO HONOR and the back will have the N* (N-star). You will also have the OPTION to personalize the back with “In Honor Of ______” underneath the N*. The shirts are a maroon color with white printing. The premium piece, hooded sweatshirts, will have RUN TO HONOR on the front in large print this year. Hoodies are Navy blue with white print. Purchases can be made on the registration website above. The following links allow you to see the shirts and hoodies (do not purchase shirts through the Under Armour site):

Shirts: $25. Team UA Tech. Maroon with white printing. Price includes custom printing and shipping.

Men’s Shirt – Click here

Women’s Shirt – Click here

Premium Piece: $50. Hooded Sweatshirt. Midnight Navy Blue with white print. Price includes printing and shipping.

Men’s Hoodie – Click here

Women’s Hoodie – Click here

Run To Honor 2010

2010-03-07T21:12:00.004-05:00

It's that time again! April 7th is the registration for the 2010 Marine Corps Marathon, which will be held on October 31. A pre-race Memorial Dinner will be held at the Loew's in Annapolis on October 29th.

How can you help make Run To Honor 2010 bigger and better?

1) Participate! Marathon, 10k, Memorial Dinner, Race Day supporter - take your pick!

2) Get the word out! Several classes have committed themselves to field one runner per fallen shipmate. Why not take the lead on this for your class? If you're wondering if a classmate has already volunteered, send us a note at runtohonor@gmail.com and we'll either get you in touch with the right person, or designate you Class Captain on the spot.

More to follow later on weekend festivities and how to sign up for them. All runners need to register themselves - Run To Honor activities will have a separate registration.

Marine Corps Marathon website is here.

Run To Honor 2009

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Run To Honor 2009 was conducted over the weekend of October 24-25th. Approximately 100 Marathon and 10k runners, representing members, friends, and family of over twenty Naval Academy classes (from '65 to '11) took to the streets of Washington D.C on a beautiful Sunday morning to run for fallen shipmates.

A central part of the Run To Honor event is the Memorial Dinner, where attendees pay tribute to our honorees and the families they leave behind. The 2009 Memorial Dinner featured a moving slide show tribute, available at this link.

Dinner attendees were also privileged to hear the remarks of CDR Paul Galanti (USN, Retired). A graduate of the Class of '62, CDR Galanti spent nearly seven years as a POW in Vietnam. CDR Galanti noted the selflessness of our honorees, how they have given literally everything they had to give in service to their country. He closed with a solemn toast, originally composed by LCDR Jerry Coffee for POWs and MIAs. Paul explained that this toast was tapped to him through a prison cell wall (as part of a prisoner communication system) in Hanoi on New Year's Eve 1968.

“We toast our hearty comrades who have fallen from the skies,
And were gently caught by God’s own hands to be with him on high,
To dwell among the soaring clouds they have known so well before,
From victory roll to tail chase, at heaven’s very door.
And as we fly among them there, we’re sure to hear their plea:
‘Take care my friend, watch your six, and do one more roll for me.’”

2009 Run To Honor Pictures

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The complete collection of Run To Honor 2009 photos can be found here. These pictures were taken by a team led by professional photographer Carolyn Andros ('95).

Registration Time!

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Run To Honor participants must register for the Marathon or 10k on their own.

Active Duty personnel can register now by clicking here.
Everyone else can register effective April 1st by clicking here (marathon only - 10k in May)
Find out more event information and register with Run To Honor by taking this survey.
And as always, email the organizers if you have any questions OR to get added to the email list.

Race day participants will range from the Class of 1955 (not a typo!) to the Class of 2012. Please join us for this tribute to our shipmates!

3 Weeks Until Registration Opens!

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Registration for the Marine Corps Marathon opens on April 1st for the general public (registration link here). Please help get the word out by inviting all classmates, USNA friends from other classes, families, and other interested parties to join the event. They can get on our mailing list by emailing runtohonor@gmail.com.

Active duty military have a courtesy registration for the Marathon that is already available, which can be accessed here. 10k registration begins on May 10th.

Also, please email us at the address above if you would like to be part of the planning for this event!

Run To Honor 2009 Event Summary

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Please plan to be part of this year's event!

-All Naval Academy graduates and midshipmen, along with their friends are family, are invited to participate.

-If you would like to run, you can choose between the Marine Corps Marathon and the Marine Corps 10k on October 25th.

-Runners and non-runners alike are invited to the pre-race memorial dinner on October 24th.

-Race registration opens on April 1st.

Check back to this blog for the most up-to-date event info. To be included in the group email list, please send an email to the organizers at runtohonor@gmail.com.

Scroll down to see pictures and information from past events!

Photos from the inaugural Run To Honor in 2007

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Run To Honor History

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The Naval Academy Class of 1995 organized the inaugural event in 2007 to honor six shipmates who were lost in operations. The Class of '95 again conducted the Run To Honor in 2008. The 2009 event has been expanded to honor all Naval Academy graduates who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.

Run To Honor 2009 will include a memorial dinner on Saturday, October 24th, followed by the marathon and 10k on Sunday, October 25th. Naval Academy graduates and Midshipmen, along with family and friends of Naval Academy graduates and Midshipmen, are all invited to participate as runners, supporters, and guests at the memorial dinner. Remote participation will be encouraged for anyone unable to travel to Washington DC for the Marine Corps Marathon and 10k. In 2007 and 2008, dozens of runners participates remotely, including participants in Afghanistan, Australia, and aboard the forward deployed USS Theodore Roosevelt.

While Run To Honor is a memorial event at its core, participants and supporters will also be invited to raise funds to contribute to the memory of our honorees.

The event co-chairs are Giovanna Kostrubala ('95) and Jeff Webb ('95) and can be reached at runtohonor@gmail.com. If you would like to participate in the planning of the event, please let them know.

Run To Honor

Swim To Honor 2012

Register for the Memorial Dinner!

Marathon Training Program

Run To Honor - Shamrock

***Calling all Runners***

Special Shirt Order!

Run To Honor 2010 Wrap-up

USNAAA and Run To Honor

Marathoner Essay - "What the MCM Meant to Me"

Remote Participant Highlight

Run To Honor “Gut Check” 2010 - LCDR Brian Erickson

Class of '77

Photography

2010 Run To Honor Post-Race Tent

2010 Marathon Pre-Race Photo Location

2010 10k Pre-Race Photo Location

Run to Honor Newspaper Article

Making a Contribution

Run to Honor Update

Run To Honor Registration and Shirt Orders

Run To Honor 2010

Run To Honor 2009

2009 Run To Honor Pictures

Registration Time!

3 Weeks Until Registration Opens!

Run To Honor 2009 Event Summary

Photos from the inaugural Run To Honor in 2007

Run To Honor History

Calling all Runners