- Runners in this event are trained core runners and day runners. All there to help say these names.
- It’s a 3-day run over 176 miles starting in Tallahassee and ending in Jacksonville. After every mile, runners and volunteers stop and read the names of fallen soldiers.
- Watch the video above to hear from a Gold Star parent, founder, and a runner about the 2025 Florida Run for the Fallen.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
Remembering and honoring our fallen soldiers with ties to the state of Florida.
“Why do we run? We run for those who can't."
I’m Terry Gilliam your Tallahassee neighborhood reporter.
The Florida Run for the Fallen begins Friday morning, so I caught up with those involved and see what this event means to them.
“Ian was a bright and shiny face. He’d walk into a room and the room would light up.”
That’s Chris Younger. A Gold Star father. He tells me about his son, Ian Younger, who died while serving in the United States Navy.
“He was just great to be around.”
Like Chris, many Gold Star families still remember the light shines in their life. That’s why the 2025 Florida Run for the Fallen remembers and honors that light.
It’s a 3-day run over 176 miles starting in Tallahassee and ending in Jacksonville. After every mile, runners and volunteers stop and read the names of fallen soldiers.
“For a family to hear a loved one’s name called out loud is an indescribable moment.”
George Lutz is the Founder of Honor and Remember Inc. he tells me the significance of saying the names of those who served out loud.
“Some families lost their loved ones yesterday, last year, or a decade ago. One of the things that the public may not understand is that families rarely say the names of their loved one out loud, because you know their name and you keep them in your heart; we’re there to make sure that we have over 1,200 names to call out.”
The opening ceremony begins at 6:30 in the morning at the Florida Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the running starts at 7 in the morning.
Runners in this event are trained core runners and day runners. All there to help say these names.
I spoke with runner and U.S. Army veteran, Tony Hanneken, about the process for this run and how it feels to be a part of it.
“I would say it’s actually mental training. You can’t train for that, you just dive in. As we would say in the Army, you just go for the mission and our mission is to honor the people who have lost their lives, and we want to remember them by repeating their names.”
Running as one— it’s something people like Chris Younger say you have experience to appreciate.
“Come on out, see it, watch it for yourself.”
For those who aren’t in attendance, there will be a live feed on their Run For the Fallen Facebook page. In Tallahassee, Terry Gilliam, ABC27.
