HONORING OUR HEROES MARATHON: Event distributes over $200,000 to veteran’s organizations, ushers in 10th year running

Weiss began the gala thanking attendees, sponsors, and volunteers for coming, along with City of Salem representatives Sally Burbridge, John Whelan, and Catherine Dent. He celebrated and applauded HEROES board members, along with founder Bob Gravely, who is registered to walk in the 10k for the upcoming Nov. 15 marathon at 88-years-young.

“We had three goals when we started out the organization here,” explained Weiss to the crowd. “One, to boost tourism; two, to promote health; and third, most importantly, to honor and benefit veterans. In the past 10 years, we've achieved all three goals.”

The marathon has not only helped people achieve their fitness goals and boosted tourism, with a total of 574 people from 42 states and territories participating in the 2024 marathon—it has, including the $34,000 in funds earned from the race in 2024 and distributed at the gala, officially surpassed the $200,000 mark in total donations distributed to local veteran organizations.

Several special commemorations are in the works to celebrate the milestone to help make the race bigger and better than ever, said Weiss. A ruck division, in both heavy and light categories, will be once again offered, along with the ghost runner brigade where individuals may honor deceased veterans. The board is busy lining up sponsors and volunteers, and they are signing up more participants than ever for the 10th running HEROES, said Weiss. Board members are working to ensure there is a participant from each and every one of all 50 states.

At the gala, donations were distributed to veteran organizations, including:

• Dent County Veteran’s Emergency Fund, used for assisting veterans in crisis, such as with utility bills or mortgage payments

• American Volunteers, a group who work to better the lives of individual veterans and families, such as with wheelchair ramp construction

• VFW Poppy Fund, used by local veterans in need of assistance with utility bills, transportation, etc.

• Missouri Veteran’s Home St. James Auxiliary League, the donation will be used to help meet the needs of veterans in the home

• Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter 49, a group which provides transportation for Pulaski County residents to get to their doctor’s appointments in Columbia at the Veteran’s Medical Center, as well as other services for veterans

• Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Warrior In Need Fund—soldiers in crisis can access the fund through their superior officer and get immediate help

• Army Emergency Relief (AER), assistance for soldiers if they should ever find themselves in financial need

• Mission 22, an organization that specializes in healing the veteran mind, body, and spirit to help prevent veteran suicide

A video from Mission 22 was featured at the gala to help highlight the work the organization does, as the organization is headquartered in Sisters, Oregon and representatives were unable to make it. With the continued support of HEROES, Mission 22 is able to put veterans through its programs to ensure they get the support they need, including gym memberships, one-on-one coaching sessions, or getting with post-traumatic growth facilitators or health coaches.

Additionally, Honoring Our HEROES made a contribution toward the Veteran’s Park in Rolla, which recently experienced severe damages as a result of the Phelps County tornado. The Veteran’s Park was built solely with volunteer donations and labor, and the 10k circles around the park every year.

Along the course, there are 19 water stations offering support and encouragement to participants. There are signs listing various conflicts that soldiers have fought in for their country, with inspirational signs to boost runners along the course, and a few funny ones to lift runner’s spirits on the steeper terrain between Salem and Rolla.

Honoring Our Heroes gave the following awards to notable volunteers and aid stations.

Founder’s Award

Each year the HEROES board recognize a business or organization who has gone over and beyond in their support to the marathon, named for event founder, Bob Gravely—this is known as the Founder’s Award. The board recognized Rolla Lion’s Club as one of the organizations that has been part of the marathon since 2016, when it had its first race. The award was gifted to representatives from the Rolla Lion’s Club.

“This incredibly generous park has been allowing us to use their beautiful park each year, has opened the Lion’s Den at four in the morning, and let us rent the building without charge. Their motto is: we serve. And, truly, the Lions have served not only the HEROES Marathon but our community and our veterans every day of the year,” shared Weiss. “We would like to recognize them and sincerely thank the Rolla Lion’s Club for their incredible support and honor them for their service.”

Meanwhile, the Founder’s Award Volunteer of the Year has been a part of the HEROES marathon since the first event in November 2016—Maury Mertz. Mertz has worked hard over the years pulling his horse trailer into the Armory the day before the race to load up aid station materials, boxes and cases of water and Gatorade, then delivers them to each of the stations early on the race day morning.

“Five years ago, he added course monitoring to his duties and stood in the rain all day ushering runners safely across the pedestrian crossing on Lions Club drive. After Ken passed away, Maury added course clean-up to his list, gathering all leftover materials and signs at the end of a very long day,” shared Weiss.

Mertz not only volunteers for HEROES but also volunteers for the Ozark National Cultural Resource Center and serves as president of the local Back Country Horseman chapter.

Water Station Awards

These awards are presented to recognize those people or organizations who may serve along the course to aid runners. These folks provide water, Gatorade, and snacks, band aids, music, and chairs.

Half marathon

• Runner’s Choice: Rolla High School Key Club, for their loud and earnest support of the runners.

• Most Patriotic: Missouri Veteran’s Home of St. James Assistance League, for their beautiful station decorated with huge flags representing all branches of the armed services, participation, support, and enthusiasm

• Best Veteran’s Presence: Rolla Dermatology / 3D Wellness was a runner favorite, inspiring, and meaningful

Full marathon

• Most Patriotic: Sunlight Riders, Christian Motorcycle Club located at mile six on the route and consistently a runner favorite. The group has consistently been part of HEROES for many years, and the board members thanked them for their service to the event and veterans.

• Best Veteran’s Presence: Team Pickleball, located at mile eight and has served at the same spot since 2016

• Best Family Station: Dawn Baird Bell, the Community Development Director for the City of Rolla who put together an outstanding patriotic aid station at her home located on Highway 72

• Best Music: American Legion Post 99, located at mile two of the full marathon course, always fun and patriotic

• 10k: South Central Regional Veteran’s Group, responsible for building the Veteran’s Park in Rolla. Their aid station is consistently the runner favorite.

If anyone would like to volunteer in the 2025 Heroes Marathon, the tenth year running of the event, check out the link, https://www.heroesmarathon.com/volunteer.html.

Meanwhile, if you would like to sign-up to take part in the next marathon, either in-person or virtually, visit https://runsignup.com/Race/MO/Rolla/HonoringOurHeroesMarathon. The next Marathon will be Nov. 15, 2025.