Tens of thousands run annual Tunnel to Towers race

September 30, 2019 Trey Pentecost

Members of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps held up banners along the route with the names and faces of nearly 7,000 service men and women. Eagle photo by Trey Pentecost

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Approximately 30,000 people ran, walked and rolled through the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel (formerly known as the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel) on Sunday, retracing the steps of Stephen Siller, a New York firefighter who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

After hearing that a plane had struck the North Tower, Siller attempted to travel from Brooklyn to Manhattan and rejoin his squad, but was blocked from driving through the tunnel by security.

Rather than turn back, Siller strapped on his gear and ran through the tunnel on foot. He died in the rescue efforts later that day.

The first wave of runners enters the tunnel.

John Louis and Ahrayaahla Robinson of Brooklyn’s Engine 235 in Bedford-Stuyvesant ran the race for the first time this year. Louis described running through the tunnel with full gear as “brutal.”

“We thought about Stephen Siller — never stopping even though it got hard.”

Approximately 30,000 people from around the U.S and abroad showed up to participate.

The annual race, organized by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, takes place on the last Sunday of September. It raises money to support injured service members, first responders and their families.

The race began in 2002 which just 1,500 runners, and has now grown into a nationwide event with more than 60 locations.

To date, the foundation has raised more than $125 million in support of service members and their families.