The Honoring Our Heroes Marathon is debuting a statewide trophy for the 10th anniversary of its Salem-to-Rolla challenge on Nov. 15. This year’s winner will see their name permanently inscribed on the new Governor’s Cup designated by Gov. Mike Kehoe. The annual awarding of this honor will be a new tradition for the event and further boost its mission to benefit the region’s veterans.
“Our marathon is unique, it has such a beauty and a charm,” says Marilyn Sweitzer, the marathon’s race director. “From what I hear from people, they like our cause. They like that we're benefiting veterans. They like that we’re a charity. They like the small-town feel. They love our volunteers. Our volunteers are just top notch.”
The Honoring Our Heroes Marathon was founded in 2016 by local Air Force veteran Bob Gravley. Inspiring the idea was Gravley’s experience running his first marathon in North Carolina at the age of 79.
“I think our first year, I don't think we had quite 200 people, which kind of surprised me that we even had that many in 2016,” Sweitzer says. “This year, we hope for at least 600. Our numbers are way up, so we're excited. Apparently, the word is getting out that this is the one of the events to come and do, and that's very, very gratifying.”
Over the past decade, the Heroes Marathon has grown in not only attendance, but scope. Its three primary goals are helping veterans, improving health and boosting the local tourism economy. In addition to offering a half-marathon, the race’s weekend now features 5K and 10K opportunities plus a marathon relay and ruck sack division. An honor walk further shares stories of service and sacrifice by military veterans.
“People tell us, that's what's moving to see, the individual stories of people who've served across all branches,” Sweitzer says. “Sometimes we forget the sacrifices that were made by our veterans to give us our freedom.”
The impact of the marathon’s fundraising has also expanded, with annual donations to local veteran organizations as well as Mission 22, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing the estimated 22 veterans suicides per day.
“I think we've been blessed every year to become a little bit bigger and make a little more money,” says Richard LaBrash, the president of the marathon’s governing board. “It costs a tremendous amount of money to put one of these on, but last year, we were able to distribute a little over $35,000 to our different veteran groups.”
LaBrash adds, “In the nine years that we've performed the race, we raised and distributed over $200,000 to our veteran charities. These are funds that are being sent to the veterans that are at the highest level of need and the lowest level of income.”
For the marathon’s 10th anniversary, LaBrash says planners wanted a way to give a special salute the event’s participants and sponsors for their dedication. After researching the subject, LaBrash learned only Montana offers a similarly official governor’s cup for a marathon. He then successfully wrote a letter asking Gov. Mike Kehoe to sponsor a trophy, and the Goldstein and Price Law Firm of St. Louis agreed to sponsor its creation.
“Naivety is a beautiful blessing,” LaBrash says. “I've got many, many things done in my life because I was too naive to know that you couldn't do that.”
LaBrash thanks State Rep. John Hewkin for helping get in touch with Gov. Kehoe. When contacted by The Salem News, Hewkin responded, “This trophy will be something that the winner will cherish and all of Missouri can be proud of. This will be the 10th annual race and adding the Governor’s Cup to the activity definitely adds to the prestige. We owe such a debt to our veterans (Hero’s), that I am happy to play any role that gives back, thanking them for their sacrifice.”
Sweitzer and other marathon organizers invite the public to run or cheer on the runners during the marathon’s return on Nov. 14.
“There is a pace and a distance for pretty much everyone,” Sweitzer says. “If you've never seen the end of a marathon or a 5K it's really exciting to be there and see the smiles of the Boy Scouts that are all there to help, and all the excited volunteers, and to see somebody get their medal when they've just slogged 26 miles. Marathoners don't give up. They keep on running.”
LaBrash says beyond being a fun weekend, the proceeds from the marathon make a huge difference for the local veterans most in need.
“I think that the Heroes Marathon is probably the best thing to happen to veteran organizations in my lifetime,” LaBrash says. “In the VFW, they call it the poppy fund. In the American Legion, they call it the veterans’ fund. But whatever you call it, it's there for the veteran that is in his direst straight of need, like I’ve got to go to Columbia, and I don't have a car, or I don’t have any gas. These are the kind of things most people glaze over and assume everybody's got that. No, everybody doesn't have that. There's a lot of folks that are right here in our community that have nothing other than a hope of something being better.”
