Rock ’n’ Roll Arizona Half Marathon: A Mile That Asked Us to Remember

The wear blue community is one shaped by loss, but strengthened by love, gratitude, and connection. It is a community that does not discriminate by geography, by date of loss, or by how that loss occurred. Across state lines and generations, wear blue brings people together with a shared commitment: to honor service, to remember sacrifice, and to say the names of those who gave their lives.

That commitment was on full display during the Rock ’n’ Roll Arizona Half Marathon weekend, where thousands of runners encountered a half mile that asked something different of them - not speed, not strength, but presence.

A Mile Months in the Making

The wear blue Mile does not begin on race morning. Its planning starts months in advance, as Faces of the Fallen tribute poster requests arrive from across the country. Each request carries a story of a life lived in service, of a family forever changed, of a hero whose legacy deserves to be remembered.

Together, these requests represent service members from every branch, every decade, and every circumstance of loss. On race weekend, those stories come together to form the wear blue Mile.

Eighteen-by-twenty-four-inch Faces of the Fallen posters lined both sides of nearly a half mile of the course, creating a powerful corridor of remembrance. The posters were placed in chronological order, beginning with the oldest loss submitted.

This year’s Arizona Mile opened with SGT Fred Brock, the first Buffalo Soldier killed in World War II. From there, the story of service unfolded step by step across wars, generations, and eras ending with the most recent losses of SGT William N. Howard, and SGT Edgar B. Torres-Tovar, killed in action December 13, 2025.

Between those names were hundreds more, sons and daughters, spouses, siblings, parents, and friends, each poster a reminder that freedom is deeply personal.

When the Race Became Something More

As runners entered the wear blue Mile, the atmosphere shifted. Conversations faded. Footsteps slowed. Many runners paused to read names or study faces. Some offered a salute. Others placed a hand over their heart. Tears were common. Gratitude was everywhere.

In that half mile, the race transformed. It was no longer about personal bests or finish times, it became an act of remembrance.

The wear blue Mile at Rock ’n’ Roll Arizona was proudly supported by the Wounded Warrior Project, whose mission to honor and empower post-9/11 wounded warriors aligns closely with wear blue’s commitment: For the fallen. For the fighting. For the families.

For many wounded warriors, wear blue provides a place to show up, to move forward while honoring the loss of their fellow service members. Along the Mile, healing and remembrance existed side by side.

Andrew Coughlan, Wounded Warrior Project's Regional Director, shared “WWP and wear blue working together during the Rock n’ Roll Arizona Half Marathon is exactly what should happen when serving veterans and families. There were so many powerful moments from hearing stories of volunteers to watching veterans and surviving family members connect with each other. I know without a doubt, that there was healing that took place this past weekend.”

Carrying Names Forward

As runners emerged from the final posters, they were met by the sound of cheers and waving flags. wear blue volunteers lined the course holding full-size American flags, creating a powerful bridge from reflection back into the rhythm of the race.

Each flag was adorned with a ribbon and a special flag tag bearing the name of a fallen service member. Volunteers were encouraged to take those flag tags with them to learn their hero’s story and to carry their memory beyond race day. The flag tags for this Mile were generously sponsored by Lockton Companies, helping ensure that each name was not only displayed, but carried forward with purpose.

It was a moment that captured the heart of wear blue. Remembrance that does not end when the course is cleared.

Carrying a Hero’s Name

Through wear blue: run to remember’s year-round Hero Match program, supporters are given the opportunity to honor a fallen service member each week by learning their name and story.

In the weeks leading up to the Rock ’n’ Roll Arizona Half Marathon, hundreds of community members received a Hero Match. On race weekend, those names appeared on bibs as runners took purposeful steps in honor of their hero.

As runners in blue moved through the wear blue Mile, names they had carried for weeks met faces on the course turning remembrance into action and miles into meaning.

One Mile. Thousands of Hearts.

The wear blue Mile is never about numbers alone, but this weekend, thousands of hearts moved through a space dedicated to honoring sacrifice. It was created by volunteers who arrived before dawn, families who entrusted us with their heroes’ names, and runners who chose to slow down and remember.

Because of them, the stories of our fallen live on, not only in posters lining a racecourse, but in the steps taken, the flags carried, and the memories held long after the finish line.

We will continue to remember.

For the fallen. For the fighting. For the families.

Photos courtesy of Nico Marie Photo