September 7, 2023
SVSU to host 9/11 Heroes Run
10th year for in-person event to benefit national foundation
For the 10th year, runners will loop through and around the campus of Saginaw Valley State University in a race to honor first responder and military heroes. The 9/11 Heroes Run will be held on Sunday, Sept. 10 to benefit the Travis Manion Foundation and the Great Lakes Bay Veteran Coalition.
The event begins in the parking lot of SVSU’s Ryder Center. Check-in and late registration begins at 8:30, followed by a remembrance ceremony at 9:30 a.m. The 5K run/walk, on SVSU’s certified route, begins at 10 a.m. The route runs through the center of campus to the ponds near Bay Rd., then loops around campus along the non-motorized pathway, finishing at the Ryder Center.
Participants can also register for the GORUCK division of the race. Rucking is when the participants wear a weighted bag on their back during the 5K.
The 9/11 Heroes Run is a professionally timed event, with finisher medals awarded to the top three male and female finishers in each age bracket of the 5K run.
Registration is $35 for online pre-registration as well as walk-up registration the day of the event. Participants who are active in the military, members of a first responder agency or current SVSU students receive discounted online pre-registration. Family package deals also are available.
Virtual participation and volunteer opportunities are available.
Those interested in participating in the SVSU-hosted 9/11 Heroes Run can register online until noon on Saturday at svsu.edu/heroesrun or beginning at 8:30 a.m. Sunday as part of walk-up registration (discounts available).
A portion of the Saginaw 9/11 Heroes Run will benefit the Travis Manion Foundation, which empowers veterans and families of fallen heroes to develop character in future generations. The other portion of the proceeds will remain in the local community to support the Great Lakes Bay Veteran Coalition.
“We are extremely proud of our 10-year history of hosting this meaningful and impactful race,” said Jason Swackhamer, an SVSU social media and digital content specialist and one of the coordinators of the Saginaw 9/11 Heroes Run. “The Travis Manion Foundation does important work to help our military veterans and families of the fallen as well as first responders, and we are proud to be affiliated with them. I've raced plenty of 5Ks in my life but this one is different from start to finish with the emotion of the remembrance ceremony, the heightened feelings of patriotism with a giant U.S. flag at the start/finish and red, white and blue everywhere.”
The 9/11 Heroes Run 5K series was inspired by Marine 1st Lt. Travis Manion, who was killed by a sniper in Iraq in April 2007 as he selflessly protected his battalion. Before his final deployment, Travis visited Rescue One in New York City — famous for losing almost all of their men on 9/11— and returned home with deeper passion about why he was serving in Iraq. At its heart, the 9/11 Heroes Run is a tribute to a personal commitment to never forget the heroes of that day. In its 16th year, the 9/11 Heroes Run national race series will be held in more than 90 communities around the U.S. and the world.
The Kochville and Saginaw Township fire departments and Michigan State Police will support the run again this year. Several SVSU offices collaborated to organize this year's annual run including Military Student Affairs, Campus Recreation, Alumni Relations and University Communications.
Questions can be directed via email to saginaw@911heroesrun.org or through the event’s Facebook page (facebook.com/911HeroesRunSaginaw).
About the 9/11 Heroes Run
Started in 2008 by the family of fallen 1st Lt. Travis Manion as a grassroots run in his hometown Doylestown, PA with 300 runners, the 9/11 Heroes Run now has more than 90 race locations and unites more than 60,000 people yearly to celebrate our heroes and spread awareness. Race proceeds are used to directly support the Travis Manion Foundation's mission to empower our nation's veterans and families of our fallen heroes to develop character in future generations in order to strengthen communities. In select locations, a portion of race proceeds are granted back to a local nonprofit partner whose mission is also to empower our heroes. We believe the best way to honor the fallen is by challenging the living.