Tunnel to Towers October 5K Series: A Record NYC Turnout and Three More Events This Month

40,000 Runners, One Nor'easter, Zero Excuses

On Sunday, September 27, 2026, the 25th annual Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk drew more than 40,000 participants through the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel in New York City, despite a driving nor'easter rainstorm. Local coverage described the massive turnout as a testament to the mission's pull, with runners and walkers showing up in the rain to honor Stephen Siller and the 343 firefighters lost on September 11, 2001.

I love that image: a city getting soaked, and tens of thousands of people choosing to run through it anyway. That is Service Before Self in its most literal form, people giving up a morning to carry a mission that gives hero families a stable home.

The 5K Series Continues Across the Country

The mission does not stop at New York. The Tunnel to Towers 5K series brings the same energy to communities nationwide, and three events close out October:

• Outer Banks, North Carolina: Saturday, October 10, 2026, in Kill Devil Hills.
• Bridgeport, Connecticut: Saturday, October 17, 2026.
• Jersey Shore, New Jersey: Sunday, October 18, 2026.

Every registration dollar goes toward mortgage-free homes for the families of fallen first responders and Gold Star families, and toward housing for catastrophically injured veterans. If you live near any of these communities, showing up is one of the most direct ways to serve.

A Year of Milestones Behind It

This October sits on top of an extraordinary year for the foundation. On September 11, the foundation announced 55 mortgage payoffs for families of fallen first responders, part of its 343-home living memorial: Tunnels to Towers Pays Off 55 More Mortgages on the 25th Anniversary of 9/11. The Chicago Tower Climb raised $44,000, the Fort Myers 5K raised a record $75,000, and Virginia radio stations raised more than $15,000 at the inaugural Swing Fore Heroes golf tournament: the full early-October update.

And the Tampa Tower Climb on October 3 honored Stephen Siller and the 343 firefighters: the full recap. The mission keeps compounding, one family at a time.

Why This Mission Matters Close to Home

Some people ask why a Santa Clarita REALTOR writes so often about a national foundation. The answer is simple: the families this mission serves live everywhere, including Southern California. A veteran in Valencia, a firefighter's widow in Canyon Country, a Gold Star parent in Saugus: Tunnel to Towers has helped hero families across our region, and the Steel Across America tour brought the World Trade Center beam through the West LA Veterans Campus this summer.

My commitment to Service Before Self is why I support this mission, and it is the same reason I serve veterans, first responders, and special-needs families in my everyday work. Real estate is about people, not just properties. When a hero family has a stable home, the schools, the neighborhoods, and the whole community feel it.

How You Can Help

• Donate or fundraise: Every dollar at t2t.org goes directly toward mortgage-free homes and veteran housing.
• Attend an October 5K: Bridgeport (October 17) and Jersey Shore (October 18) are still open to participants and volunteers. Details are on the foundation's event calendar.
• Share the story: A veteran or first-responder family in your own network may not know about the mortgage assistance and housing support available to them. Sharing this article is an easy way to serve.

Frequently Asked Questions