The Kentucky Run for the Fallen, a two-day event honoring fallen military service members, took place this weekend. The event began at Smothers Park on Saturday morning and will pass through five counties in western Kentucky.
Runners headed south along a route that spanned more than 60 miles. The route followed several state highways, passing through Christian, Daviess, Hopkins, McLean, and Muhlenberg counties before ending for the day at the Muhlenberg County West Campus in Greenville. On Sunday, runners continued their journey, starting at 6 a.m., and concluded at the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery West, just south of Hopkinsville.
The event is part of a larger national effort to honor fallen soldiers. It was inspired by a 2018 national run that started at Fort Irwin, California and ended at Arlington National Cemetery. Since 2019, the Kentucky chapter has hosted its own run.
“The inspiration for this run is to honor and remember the soldiers we have lost since the war on terror,” said Kim Welborn, one of the event organizers. “They say a soldier dies twice: once when they die, and again when they are not remembered. So we want to remember them by calling out their names.”
Welborn encouraged local residents to participate by cheering on the runners, joining the run, or supporting the cause in other ways.
“We would love to see more people come out and cheer on our runners or just help support our mission. But most importantly, never forget our fallen heroes,” she said.
Motorists are asked to exercise caution while passing through the race areas over the weekend as runners travel along several busy highways. Law enforcement will be present throughout the route to ensure safety.
For more information about the event and how to get involved in next year’s run, visit honorandremember.org or the local chapter’s site at kentucky.usarunforthefallen.org.
