Running 4 Heroes – Remembering the 1000 Fundraiser

On January 12th, 2019, then 10-year old Zechariah Cartledge set out on a mission to run 1-mile for every First Responder lost in the Line of Duty. He called his efforts “Running 4 Heroes.”  His first mile was for fallen Davis Police Department Officer Natalie Corona.In his first year of running as part of his mission, Zechariah ran a mile for every Officer lost in the Line of Duty in both 2018 and 2019. He also ran a mile for every Firefighter who was lost in the Line of Duty in 2019. Since then, Zechariah has run over 1,000 miles for fallen heroes, and his efforts led to the creation of the Running 4 Heroes 501(c)(3). Along with running a mile for every First Responder lost in the Line of Duty, Zechariah also gives out monthly $10,000 Grants to First Responders injured in the Line of Duty. Since January of 2020, he has awarded over $165,000 in funding to a combined 21 injured First Responders. The efforts of Running 4 Heroes also led to the creation of their sister pages, Running 4 Heroes – Military and Running 4 Heroes – K9s. Through these pages, Soldiers as well as K9s killed while in the line of Duty are also honored with 1-mile tribute runs.The 1,000 miles represent 1,000 heroes who gave their lives protecting and serving the communities they loved. The goal of the Running 4 Heroes mission, and the purpose behind why Zechariah runs, is to ensure these heroes will never be forgotten.