On May 23 at 9:11 a.m., the Hope Mills community will gather for the Towers and Tunnels 5K. This is a tribute to service, sacrifice and commitment to those who run toward danger. Hosted with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the Stoney Point Fire Department, the event honors a region defined by military and first responder service. The run will be held at Golfview Greenway Walking Trail, located at 3644 Golfview Road in Hope Mills.
Volunteer race director Bill Reagan said the idea grew from a clear need.
“This entire region deserved a meaningful local event to honor its soldiers, veterans, and first responders,” Reagan said. “It is a debt long owed and an honor to begin repaying it.”
With communities stretching from Spring Lake to Southern Pines, the event reflects one of the nation’s most concentrated areas of service and sacrifice.
At the heart of the run is the story of Stephen Siller, whose actions on Sept. 11, 2001, inspired a national movement. After hearing of the attacks, Siller ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel in full gear toward the World Trade Center, where he gave his life saving others. Reagan connects that moment to the broader service seen locally.
“Stephen’s run through that tunnel, the 343 first responders who never came home, and the soldiers whose boots hit the ground in Afghanistan weeks later are all expressions of the same national character, Americans who moved toward danger without hesitation, in different uniforms, in service to the same country,” he said.
The meaning of “Towers and Tunnels” goes beyond symbolism. In a region anchored by Fort Bragg, the message is personal.
“The soldiers of Fort Bragg ran toward their own towers — toward Afghanistan, Iraq, and every theater of operation,” said Reagan. “The tunnel, in this context, represents every formidable challenge they ran toward so that the rest of America would not have to.”
Participants can expect an unforgettable morning along the Golfview Greenway Walking Trail. The 9:11 a.m. start time is intentional.
“Every runner who crosses that line at that exact moment is connected to something much larger than a 5K,” Reagan said.
The event opens with a formal Honor Guard presentation, followed by the National Anthem performed by a local chorus and a moving bagpipe tribute. A bell ceremony, three solemn rings will honor fallen first responders, inviting participants to pause and reflect. There will be 343 signs honoring the first responders lost on September 11 and more than 100 pairs of combat boots representing soldiers who never returned home. Every participant will receive a race shirt and finisher medal, with trophies awarded to top performers and a traveling trophy recognizing the unit or department with the highest participation. The event is also a celebration of community, with live music, local food vendors and families gathering after the race.
“These aren’t just traditions,” Reagan said. “They are a promise that this community remembers.”
Proceeds support the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which provides mortgage relief for Gold Star families, builds smart homes for injured veterans and combats veteran homelessness. For Reagan, that mission is deeply local.
“The cost of freedom carries a precise address, and those addresses are across this region,” he said. As the inaugural event, organizers hope it becomes a lasting tradition.
“We recognize what you have given,” Reagan said. “We will not forget, and we will continue to honor your service.”
For more information on the event or to register, visit runwalkhopemills.t2t.org.