Laura Young
reporter3.riverbendnews@gmail.com
On Friday, Feb. 10, a team of more than 20 marathon-trained athletes will embark on a 176-mile, three-day journey from Tallahassee to Jacksonville to honor every service member with ties to Florida who lost their lives since the bombing of the U.S.S. COLE in 2000, which marks the beginning of the War on Terror.
The Third Annual Florida “Run for the Fallen” will start in Leon County at 7 a.m. on Friday morning at the Florida Vietnam Veterans Memorial, located at 463-489 S. Monroe St., in Tallahassee. From there, relay runners will stop at each Hero Marker spaced approximately one mile apart along the way to Jacksonville. When the runners stop at each marker, they will perform a short tribute ceremony for the fallen and recognize any waiting Gold Star family, friends, comrades and community members.
Runners will proceed through Leon, Jefferson, Madison, Suwannee, Columbia, Baker, Nassau and Duval Counties to finish at the Veterans Memorial Wall in Jacksonville, Fla., at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12.
On Day 1 (Friday, Feb. 10), runners pass through Leon, Jefferson and part of Madison County.
On Day 2 (Saturday, Feb. 11), the runners can be seen continuing coming along Highway 90 and entering Suwannee County around 10:18 a.m. The runners will make stops at Hero Markers 75 through 114, where the day ends at approximately 5:16 p.m. in front of Coin Laundry, located at 916 Hwy 90, in Lake City.
Day 3 (Sunday, Feb. 12) of the event begins at 7 a.m. at the corner of Highway 90 and 6th Street in Macclenny. Continuing on with their three-day honor tribute, the runners' effort will culminate with a remembrance ceremony at 1 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Wall, located at 1145 E. Adams St., adjacent to TIAA Bank Field in downtown Jacksonville.
For those who want to plan to be at one of the markers across Suwannee County when the runners stop and perform a tribute, the list is as follows:
- Saturday, 10:18 a.m. - Marker 75 - Across from Jay Veer Foodmart, 20363 Hwy 90, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 10:29 a.m. - Marker 76 - 19788 Hwy 90, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 10:40 a.m. - Marker 77 - Corner of Highway 90 and West Tower Road, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 10:51 a.m. - Marker 78 - East of corner of Highway 90 and 185th Road, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 11:02 a.m. - Marker 79 - 17900 Hwy 90, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 11:13 a.m. - Marker 80 - Corner of Highway 90 and 173rd Place, in Falmouth.
- Saturday, 11:24 a.m. - Marker 81 - West side of I-10 Interchange, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 11:35 a.m. - Marker 82 - 0.06 miles east of corner of Highway 90 and 161st Road, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 11:46 a.m. - Marker 83 - 15346 Hwy 90, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 11:57 a.m. - Marker 84 - 14750 Hwy 90, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 12:08 p.m. - Marker 85 - One mile east of corner of Highway 90 and 149th Road, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 12:19 p.m. - Marker 86 - 13526 Hwy 90, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 12:30 p.m. - Marker 87 - Corner of Highway 90 and 129th Road, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 12:41 p.m. - Marker 88 - In front of Dollar General, 1315 Howard St. W, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 12:52 p.m. - Marker 89 - In front of Live Oak Tire Center, 303 W Howard St., in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 1:03 p.m. - Marker 90 - In front of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 928 E Howard St., in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 1:14 p.m. - Marker 91 - Merging area of Highway 90 and 10-A Helvenston Street Southeast, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 1:25 p.m. - Marker 92 - 0.13 miles past corner of Highway 90 and 97 Lane, Sheriff's Ranches Enterprises, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 1:36 p.m. - Marker 93 - 0.37 miles east of Highway 90 and 93rd Place, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 1:47 p.m. - Marker 94 - 0.20 miles east past Gamble & Associates, 8588 Hwy 90, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 1:58 p.m. - Marker 95 - Entrance of Suwannee Country Club, 7932 Hwy 90, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 2:09 p.m. - Marker 96 - 7188 Hwy 90, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 2:20 p.m. - Marker 97 - 6726 Hwy 90, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 2:31 p.m. - Marker 98 - 6726 Hwy 90, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 2:42 p.m. - Marker 99 - 6850 Hwy 90, in Live Oak.
- Saturday, 2:53 p.m. - Marker 100 - 4712 Hwy 90, in Wellborn.
- Saturday, 3:04 p.m. - Marker 101 - 0.25 miles east of corner of Highway 90 and Low Lake Road, in Wellborn.
- Saturday, 3:15 p.m. - Marker 102 - 0.4 miles east of corner of Highway 90 and County Road 137, in Wellborn.
- Saturday, 3:26 p.m. - Marker 103 - Corner of Highway 90 and 29th Road, in Wellborn.
This Hero Marker information has been extracted from the website florida.usarunforthefallen.org, where additional marker information can be found, along with maps of the entire route and names of heroes who will be honored at each marker. The site also provides detailed information about the history of the event and will have live coverage streaming over the three days.
“The second weekend of February, we run across Florida to raise awareness for the lives of those who fought and died, to rejuvenate their memories and keep their spirits alive and to aid in the healing process for the Florida residents whose lives have been affected by the war,” the website states. “We are dedicated to Honor and Remember as we blaze a 176 mile tribute trail to Veterans Memorial Wall Jacksonville. One Mission ~ One Team ~ One Tribute.”