A LETTER FROM OUR FOUNDER
Dear Friends,
Like so many in Israel, I have experienced the loss of close friends who gave their lives in defense of our people and our homeland. For years, I searched for a way to honor them that felt both personal and meaningful. I discovered that in the quiet rhythm of running, pain softens. Memory becomes movement. Grief becomes purpose.
From that search, Running in Their Memory was born.
Now in its tenth year, what began as a small act of remembrance has grown into a global movement. Each year, tens of thousands of participants in Israel and around the world run, walk, and cycle in honor of fallen IDF soldiers and victims of terror. Together, we transform memory into a living tribute.
Over the past two and a half years, Israel has once again been thrust into a painful and prolonged war - first after the atrocities of October 7th, and now amid escalating conflict with Iran and its proxies. Like many reservists, I have returned to active combat on multiple fronts. Even after more than two decades of service, the call to defend our country continues.
The cost has been devastating. Since October 7th, the number of bereaved families has grown dramatically. Behind every headline is a home forever changed - parents, spouses, children learning to live with absence.
And yet, we continue. Because we have no other country. Because we believe in life. Because we believe that remembrance must unite us, not break us.
Along the way, we have lost extraordinary men and women - heroes who are the reason we are here today. Each Memorial Day, we take to the streets across Israel and around the world, carrying their names. We run, walk, and ride freely in the land they defended - and in communities that stand with us - ensuring they are never forgotten.
This year, more than ever, our commitment is clear:
No name will be left behind.
I invite you to join us. Carry a name. Support a family. Help us ensure that every fallen hero is remembered with dignity, and that every bereaved family feels the embrace of a grateful nation and global community.
This is the least we can do.
With hope for better days ahead,
Boaz Yaakov
Founder & Director
Running in Their Memory