Teams to run over 200 miles on Cape Cod with weighted rucksacks to support military veterans
It's a special weekend on Cape Cod as people run over 200 miles with a weighted rucksack for veterans and active service members.
The 10th annual Ruck4HIT is taking place on Friday and Saturday. Twenty teams will run through 15 towns across the Cape. The whole race will take them around 36 hours.
"We started at ground zero and ran all the way to the Cape, and to see it come together in our backyard 10 years later with 20 teams and, like you said, about 500 people when all is said and done. You can't ask for something more to raise awareness and funds for Heroes In Transition," Ruck4HIT creator Nicole Spencer.
The run is to benefit Heroes in Transition (HIT), a nonprofit organization founded by Cyndy Jones. Her son Eric Jones died in a combat mission in Afghanistan. She has turned tragedy into love.
"Because of his personality and because he chose helicopters because he wanted to be close to the troops, when he came home in Dover, that's when I grabbed my husband's hand and said we are going to continue his mission," Jones said.
Running with weighted rucksacks
The rucksacks are weighted depending on the individual's weight and usually range from 10 to 20 pounds. Each team member will run two to four miles at a time.
"Somebody my size is going to be running with a pack that's at least 20 pounds. Mine weighed in at 22 pounds. A smaller-framed person is going to end up having a 10-pound ruck," Ruck4HIT runner John Alexander explained.
The Ruck4HIT website says that the rucks sacks represent"the burden of war during active service and beyond, carrying the ruck suck is symbolic of hardships endured and the perseverance required to complete the mission."
"It's empowering. It feels great to support such a good cause," runner Mark Horn said.
It's always special to watch a whole community move together in unison.
"This event has flourished the way it has truly because of the participants, the volunteers, the sponsors, the donors," Executive Director of Ruck4HIT Silene Gordon said.
To learn more about the race, click here.
