To most people running a mile doesn’t sound like much, but when you’re running a mile for every American service member killed in Iraq and Afghanistan those miles add up to more than 4,000.
For the 14 members of Run for the Fallen , Missouri is the ninth of 13 states they’ll run through. By the time they cross the state line into Illinois today, they will have run for 44 days and covered more than 2,072 miles on foot. They have to avoid main highways as they make their way from Fort Irwin California to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Director Jon Bellona, says even though they run relay style, they’re running together as one ton honor and remember fallen service members.
"Every mile we get we’re getting closer to home but every mile is getting harder to run," he said.
They are marking each mile with a flag containing the information of the soldier that the mile is for and they are taking pictures of each to document the trip.
Their trip will come to an end on August 24 th in Arlington National cemetery in Virginia.