Great American Relay sets 565-mile 9/11 tribute route for 2026

The Great American Relay will hold its seventh annual seven-day run Sept. 5-11, 2026, covering 565 miles from the Flight 93 National Memorial to the World Trade Center area. The event marks America’s 250th anniversary while raising money for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

Why it matters: - The Great American Relay is using a cross-state endurance event to honor the heroes and victims of Sept. 11 while raising funds for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. - The route connects major 9/11 memorial sites and is designed to bring together runners, first responders, veterans, families and local communities. - The event aligns with America’s 250th anniversary, adding a national milestone to the remembrance theme.

What happened: - The Great American Relay announced its 7th annual 565-mile, seven-day running relay for Sept. 5-11, 2026. - The relay will start at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. - The route will pass the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. - The relay will conclude at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City during the 25th anniversary year of the 9/11 attacks. - Organizers framed the event as a tribute to the courage, sacrifice and unity that followed Sept. 11, 2001.

The details: - The relay benefits the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which honors firefighter Stephen Siller. - Tunnel to Towers provides mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families. - The foundation builds specially adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. - The foundation also works to help eradicate veteran homelessness. - Participants can register for individual relay legs, join teams or volunteer along the route. - The event welcomes runners of all abilities. - The relay expects participation from firefighters, law enforcement officers, military veterans, Gold Star families, civic leaders and local communities across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., New Jersey and New York. - Organizers are seeking individual runners, corporate sponsors, volunteer course marshals, community partners, and veteran and first responder organizations. - The event theme is “Never Forget.” - Event information, registration, sponsorship details, volunteer information and donations are available at Great American Relay.

Between the lines: - Race Director Vince Varallo said the relay is meant to do more than cover miles and is intended to give Americans a way to honor 9/11’s legacy one step at a time. - The setup blends remembrance with fundraising, which helps the event function as both a memorial and a community mobilization effort. - The “all abilities” format broadens the potential participant base beyond competitive runners.

What's next: - Organizers are actively recruiting runners, sponsors, volunteers and partner organizations ahead of the September 2026 event. - Participation and fundraising activity are expected to build along the route as the relay approaches. - The relay will culminate on Sept. 11, 2026, at the New York memorial site.

The bottom line: - The Great American Relay is turning a 565-mile run into a national remembrance campaign tied to 9/11, America’s 250th anniversary and support for military, first responder and Gold Star families.