Runners paying respects to fallen soldiers pass through parts of Jackson County

Story By Katie Hightower

On April 25-26, several runners paid their respects to fallen soldiers by running through North Alabama and stopping each mile to read their names. The journey these runners followed began in Huntsville and ended in Center. It spanned 93.5 miles and took two days. The halfway point which split the two days of running was in Jackson County.

Runners ended the first day’s 41.5-mile journey at Weathington Park. The last stretch included running up the mountain on Highway 35. To the runners, the grueling pain of the journey was worth it to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to our country.

The second day’s 52-mile run began at Weathington Park. Four runners stretched as they prepared for their journey. A black pickup truck led the flag-carrying runners and an RV packed with emergency supplies, food and drinks followed them.

Each runner had their own reasons for running in this race. Mandy Williams signed up to run on the second day and drove to Weathington Park from Huntsville to begin the race. She ran out of support for her son, Luke, who was in the Army and stationed in Germany. 

Kyle Moates, originally from Ohio, was active duty in the Air Force. It was his fifth time running for the fallen and he had run in four other states prior to running in Alabama. 

Jake Baker described himself as an “Army brat” who lived all over but finally settled in Huntsville. He learned about the race on a Facebook page and thought about all of his family members who served and passed away which included his father-in-law. “I wanted to run because if these guys were here, they would want to run too,” said Baker.

Dan Riefenberg, from Huntsville, said he was really into running and especially loved running for charitable causes. He appreciated how supportive the local community was of military personnel. 

Ultimately, all of the runners agreed, the reason they ran was out of remembrance. One touching sight they experienced along the route was seeing a father holding a picture of his son, Scott Love. Baker said Love’s father was excited to see people running and saying Love’s name. It inspired Baker to look up Love online and learn about him. 

“He was just a dude like me. He signed on the dotted line because he cared about the freedom of us Americans back home and paid the ultimate sacrifice,” said Baker.

Baker said learning the story about Love and the others made him more mindful on the second day. On the morning of April 26 at Weathington Park, Baker said, “Today, I’m running a lot more for the actual cause.”

The runners who ran both days deeply felt the impact of the event. “Every mile, you read names. It’s a lot of names,” Riefenberg said.

“We always say, ‘remember these guys. Never forget,’” said Baker. “Unless someone’s saying their names, then we are going to forget.”