Sunday, September 28, 2008

2008 Tunnel to Towers Run in New York City

UPDATE: Monday 9:45 p.m.: 2008 Tunnel to Towers race results are now posted at: http://results.active.com/pages/searchform.jsp?rsID=70345

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The annual Tunnel to Towers Run took place in New York City Sunday, starting in Brooklyn and going to Manhattan through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. You can find information and race results at the official Tunnel to Towers Run Web site. I ran the race last year, and it's a unique event.

The race is in honor of NYC firefighter Stephen Siller, who was off duty on 9/11/01 when he heard of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. He headed to his firehouse to get his gear and head for the fire, and since all tunnels and bridges were closed to traffic after the attacks, Siller ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and to the World Trade Center... wearing his full firefighter gear.

Sadly, Stephen Siller was one of the 343 NYC fireman to lose his life when the twin towers collapsed. But the Siller family has turned this tragedy that honors his memory and provides funds for a number of charities, including burn centers in New York and across the country; the New York Foundling Hospital; education funds for the children of fallen soldiers; and even the sufferers of Hurricane Katrina.

Besides the race, the Tunnel to Towers Run concludes with a big outdoor party near the finish line, with free food, live entertainment, and lots more.

If you're a runner who'll be in New York the last weekend in September, this is quite a unique race to run in.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This is the first time I have run this race and really thought it to be a great experience. Running the tunnel was a little tough - hot, humid and crowded, but the rest of the course was easy to run. It was sad running past the firemen holding banners of the deceased firefighters. The amounts of food provided was incredible - and tasty too. I checked for results this morning - didn't see any. Will definetely run it again next year.