UM ROTC cadets gear up for the 9/11 Memorial run last year. Photo by Robert Jordan/Ole Miss Communications
Thursday is the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States, and the Ole Miss community can join ROTC cadets as they carry the nation’s colors through campus and downtown Oxford during a memorial run honoring those who were killed, as well as the first responders who rushed in to help the victims 13 years ago.
The run starts in front of the Lyceum at 6 a.m., following a cannon blast, and will be paced by cadets singing military cadences. The run is not a competitive race, but a show of respect for the fallen.
“This is by no means a competition, but rather an esprit de corps to honor our fallen heroes,” said Army Master Sgt. Matt Hayes, a senior military instructor at UM.
All runners will be asked to stay behind the cadets, who will be carrying the American and various military flags, but community members may join in the run at any time behind during the cadre. The run will cover an estimated 2-mile route. From the Lyceum, runners will head down University Avenue and turn left on South Lamar Boulevard. Runners will also circle the Oxford Square and head back up Lamar to finish at the Grove Stage.
After the run, all members of the public are invited to listen to a guest speaker at the Grove stage.
For more information, contact Hayes at cmhayes@olemiss.edu.