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Duke alumni soldiers to start 500-mile run from campus Aug. 11

Phil Cotter and Matt Jones complete a workout near Puget Sound in preparation for their 500-mile relay. Photo courtesy Matt Jones
Phil Cotter and Matt Jones complete a workout near Puget Sound in preparation for their 500-mile relay. Photo courtesy Matt Jones
Michael Penn

Seven Duke alumni, all active-duty officers in the U.S. Army, will launch a six-day, 500-mile run from the Duke Chapel on Aug. 11 to raise money and awareness for veterans' causes. The soldiers will complete their non-stop relay on Aug. 17 at the One World Trade Center in New York. At least one of the seven will be running at all times during the relay.

A kickoff event is scheduled on Duke's Chapel Quad for 1:30 p.m. with live entertainment. A ceremonial 5K will begin at 2 p.m. to help launch the soldiers on their journey. Proceeds from the 5K and the relay will support The Mission Continues, a nonprofit launched by Duke alumnus and former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens '96 to aid veterans' transition to post-combat life.

The runners -- Seth Brown '09, Phil Cotter '10, Kase Diehl '11, Jon Harless '09, Matt Jones '09, Michael Meehan '10 and Pat Thompson '11, M.A.C.S. '13 -- met as cadets in Duke's ROTC program. Four went on to complete tours in Afghanistan, and one has served in a combat unit in the Middle East. Thompson, a senior intelligence officer in the Army Reserves, also serves as director of basketball operations for the Duke men's basketball program.

Scattered across the globe, the friends had been searching for a way to honor fellow soldiers who had sacrificed their lives for their country. Jones and Cotter came up with the idea for a long-distance relay while deployed in Afghanistan earlier this year.

"We reached out to our classmates from Duke Army ROTC and they jumped at the idea to go for a run with us," says Jones. "Besides helping a great cause, it is has been great to renew the bonds we made while at Duke. It says something special about our time at Duke and in the Army that after four years apart in different parts of the world, that seven of us will get together to run 500 miles."

On the way to New York, the runners will visit the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and spend time with wounded veterans. They will also stop at Arlington National Cemetery to pay respects to fallen soldiers.

Runners wanting to participate in the ceremonial 5K should contact the team via email at freedom500@cathyannadesigns.com. Registration for the race is $25 and will be open until 15 minutes before the run begins.  

The Mission Continues supports post-9/11 veterans in their transition home by awarding six-month community-service fellowships for veterans to serve at nonprofits in their communities.

To learn more about The Freedom 500 or donate to The Mission Continues, visit their website at www.thefreedom500.com or follow them on Twitter @freedom500.