FORT RILEY, Kan. -- Runners pounded the pavement on an icy, cold, drizzling morning to honor the memory of fallen Soldiers.
A Run for the Fallen event was May 4 at the trails around Riley's Conference Center.
Run for the Fallen is an organization that began in 2008 as a way to remember service members who died while serving their country.
Since 2008, runners throughout the nation have covered 180,000 miles for fallen Soldiers.
More than 430 runners came out to participate in the Run for the Fallen event at Fort Riley.
Attendees had the option to participate in a two-mile or four-mile run at the event.
"People don't want to think about their buddy dying," said Christina Geary, Survivor Outreach coordinator, Fort Riley Survivor Outreach Services.
"This is just a great way to come out and say, 'Hey, we're still thinking about you. We haven't forgotten you,'" she said.
It is important to remember these Soldiers, not only to honor their memory, but also to help with the grieving process for those left behind, she added.
"This was a great turnout, even though the weather was bad," said Katie Applegate, senior, Junction City High School.
Applegate was one of the many participants at the event.
"One of the kids that went to one of my old schools, he died over in Afghanistan," she said. "He was in the Marine Corps, and I was running for him."
Chief Warrant Officer Scott Caves, 601st Aviation Support Battalion, Combat Aviation Brigade, said he attended the event to remember fellow Soldiers he served with.
"It's just a way to come out and do something for those who did something for us, for our country. This is a way to remember them -- let them know they're not forgotten," Caves said.
The event is more like celebrating the lives of these Soldiers, Geary said.
"You don't want to remember the bad -- this is remembering the good," she said.
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