Third Annual 5K/10K Ruck, Rain or Shine

Heroes Hearthstone, a local non-profit, is excited to announce our third annual 5K/10K RUCK, RAIN OR SHINE!

We are currently looking for Event Sponsors!

If you own a local business and would like more information about sponsorship, please click here. 

The 5K/10K RUCK, RAIN OR SHINE event is an annual fundraiser created to support Heroes Hearthstone. Our mission is to train Veterans and First Responders in effective, warrior-based wellness and self-regulation practices and guide our Nation's Heroes from a life of post-traumatic stress to a path of Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG). PTG encompasses education in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) awareness, along with training in self-regulation techniques, mindfulness practices, and wellness routines. Our goal is to provide a safe, supportive, and positive social environment where all veterans, first responders, and their families can give and receive help, as well as foster a strong sense of community. This includes a healthy transitioning process into post-service life where Veterans and First Responders can continue to adapt and thrive, not despite their traumatic experiences, but because of them.

Rucking, also known as ruck marching, is a low-intensity exercise in which you add weight to your back while walking or hiking. Although not required, we encourage those able, to simply add weight to a backpack before walking. Rucking can help you burn calories and build strength—more so than ordinary walks or hikes. This is a non-competitive ruck where you may choose from a 5K or 10K course. You will not be officially timed nor have a carried ruck-weight requirement. You will, however, earn a finisher's award. We use this event as a vehicle to raise awareness of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder so that we can lessen the stigma surrounding it and begin conversations of healing and growth.

This event also provides an opportunity for you to lighten the load in your hypothetical ruck sack. Veterans and First Responders are not the only ones who tend to carry oversized loads. We all overload our ruck sacks with symbolic rocks made up of the struggles we endure. The residual negative emotions left behind by injuries, injustices, or mistakes that we've never learned to let go, weigh on us daily. The ruck sack is your mind and the weight of the load burdens not your back, but your soul. As a result, resentment, hatred, anger, fear, guilt, and shame can bring you to your knees.

As a mindfulness practice, we provide rocks and markers at the starting line, and invite everyone to write words on their rocks that symbolize the negativity they carry. Throughout the walk, we encourage you to take the time to contemplate and process the heaviness these rocks add to your life. Our hope is that when the ruck is complete and you unload your baggage at the finish line, you feel lighter both physically and spiritually.

The Third Annual 5K/10K RUCK, RAIN OR SHINE will be held Saturday, September 21st, 2024 at the beautiful Lake-Lehman High School campus.

Registration: 8AM

Ruck Start Time: 10AM

Entry Fees

$25 per person ONLINE PRE-REGISTRATION - Purchase tickets below. $30 per person IN-PERSON REGISTRATION - Registration starts at 8AM on the day of the event. $15 per person DISCOUNT REGISTRATION* - Registration starts at 8AM on the day of the event.

*To qualify for the discount, you must be a Veteran, First Responder, Student, or group of 5 or more. Discount registration is only available in person on the day of the event.

Each registration includes Heroes Hearthstone Drawstring Backpack, Participation Medal, and Runner's Bib.

PLEASE NOTE: After you purchase tickets online, you will receive a follow-up email to complete a Participation Waiver. If this is not completed online, you will be required to complete it during registration before participating in our event.

What to Bring

· Comfortable walking shoes

· Backpack if you wish to carry weight (this is optional)

· Water bottle – Water and small snacks such as protein bars and fruit will be provided free of charge

· Ticket from online registration & participation waiver

· A friend or two. Or many! - Group discounts are available. And furry, four-legged friends are also welcome as long as they remain leashed during the event.