On a sunny Saturday morning, runners from across the state gathered in Arlington, clad in firefighter gear and tactical vests while holding American flags.
The grounds of the National Medal of Honor Museum were decorated with red, white and blue. Music boomed throughout the crowd and clusters of bubbles floated just above attendees heads as an announcer yelled, “OK. Are you ready? Let’s roll.” The cue indicated runners should head to the starting line.
The words were also the last recorded ones of Todd Beamer on Sept. 11, 2001, before he and other Flight 93 passengers fought to regain control of their hijacked aircraft. Twenty-five years after the plane crashed into a Pennsylvania field, Beamer’s words kicked off the annual 5K 9/11 Heroes Run in honor of victims and those who sacrificed their lives to save others.
Over a thousand participants gathered in Arlington for the tribute race. The Travis Manion Foundation has hosted the run to honor 9/11 victims nationwide for 19 years. This year, the annual event saw over 60,000 runners nationwide participate.
Chris Cassidy, former president and CEO of the National Medal of Honor Museum, served as the event’s guest speaker. The Navy SEAL veteran and NASA astronaut shared how Saturday’s event embodied what a perfect day at the museum would look like.
“As I closed my eyes and pictured that five years ago — today, this moment is the image that came to my mind. Young people about to start their military journey, those of us (whose) military journeys are already in the rearview mirror, and the support of a community that’s unmatched,” Cassidy said.
Former Navy SEAL and NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy gives opening remarks before the start of the 2026 9/11 Heroes Run at the National Medal of Honor Museum on Sept. 12, 2026. (Mica Magday | Fort Worth Report)
The river of runners at the starting line was made up of families pushing strollers, junior ROTC students sporting camo pants and participants like 70-year-old cancer survivor Carol Smith.
“The reason why we’re here, the reason why we have freedom, is because we have men and women that serve and give up their lives. That’s what I run for,” Smith said.
The Azle resident sported an American flag over her shoulder and pictures pinned to her back of firefighters who passed away both recently and on 9/11. Saturday also marked her being cancer-free for a year and five months. She hopes to regain her strength through these runs.
“The whole goal is to cross the finish line now since all the chemo zapped my energy,” Smith said. “I’m getting it back a little at a time.”
The back of Carol Smith’s T-shirt shows the firefighters she is dedicating her 9/11 run to on Sept. 12, 2026. (Mica Magday | Fort Worth Report)
Carol Smith, 70, participates in the annual 9/11 Heroes Run with an American flag over her shoulder on Sept. 12, 2026. (Mica Magday | Fort Worth Report)
Friends and family members roared with cheers and waved signs, pompoms and hand clackers from the sidelines as participants ran past them.
Leading the way were first responders and active military members representing their respective branches, including U.S. Space Force Sgt. Franck Happi Happi. Like Smith, Happi Happi ran the whole way with an American Flag and a big smile.
“It’s a great experience to be part of the celebration to remember those who fought for us and what we serve,” he said. “Freedom is not free. People have to play the part. We’re just honored to represent the Space Force for 9/11.”
Growing up in Cameroon, Happi Happi’s always dreamt of coming to the U.S. and working for NASA. While he wasn’t in the country for 9/11, he reflected on how becoming part of the U.S. Space Force fulfilled that lifelong goal.
“By working in the Space Force, I am living that childhood dream,” he said. “We provide vital space capabilities to NASA, and countries worldwide who rely on assets orbiting the earth.”
Happi Happi also looked forward to raising awareness of the Space Force and the branches work on internet communication, weather forecasting, digital financial transactions and GPS.
U.S. Space Force Sgt. Franck Happi Happi, approached his last turn to complete the 9/11 Heroes Run alongside other military men and first responders on Sept. 12, 2026. (Mica Magday | Fort Worth Report)
U.S. Marine Corps veteran Sylvia Sanders crossed the finish line with her three young children. The family came to the event to show their support for first responders and her husband, who is in the Army, she said.
“Police officers, firefighters are just fighting the everyday battles too. Internal, external, we just want to be out here showing our support to the community. To everybody,” Sanders said.
Many families like Sanders’ dedicated their run to the veterans and active military members in their families, whose names were written on their race tags.
As people crossed the finish line and collected their medals, they met and spoke to different military recruiters tabling along the grounds of the museum.
One of the recruiters was Space Force Maj. Bryan Davis, who watched the towers fall on his second day of college. The experience drove him and many others to join the military. He uses events like the run to honor that tragedy and drive others to the same mission.
“All those people that died that day, they had no reason to die. They never raised their hand and said, ‘I want to die for my country.’ But at the end of the day, that’s what happened — and they deserve to be remembered for as long as they can through these events,” he said.
Thousands of runners receive medals after completing the 9/11 Heroes Race on Sept. 12, 2026. (Mica Magday | Fort Worth Report)
Mica Magday is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at mica.magday@fortworthreport.org.
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