Veterans trek 135 miles from Kenosha to Appleton

MILWAUKEE -- A group called "My Team Triumph is running 135 miles, from Kenosha to Appleton to raise $10,000 for the men and women who have served our country.

"I just look at it as, what if it were me? And if it was me, I'd want somebody out there helping me," Roy Pirrung, who is one of the men running 135 miles to Appleton said.

It's a tribute and commitment for the men and women who gave it their all. "I feel we all have promises to keep for these guys who are overseas fighting for our freedoms and they're making the ultimate sacrifices, so what's two days of running, right?," runner Brian Gruender said.

The two men were paced along the way by a few friends and about 20 veterans, who take turns carrying the American flag. Every stride and dollar raised goes to help purchase a racing chair for veterans who aren't able to run or walk. "The war is not over for them. The battle is not over. They're coming home to a whole new challenge," Christian Jensen, the executive director for My Team Triumph, Wisconsin said.

"Then as a team, we push the chair during the races, and they just have a blast. They keep us on high all the time going through. We have a good cause to draw attention to our soldiers that were lost and I'm an Army veteran, and it's pretty emotional for me," Pirrung said.

The runners say it's an invigorating experience as they started their long journey at around 3:00 a.m. Saturday, March 17th. "We've had some police escorts which was really cool. It's been a great journey so far, so I'm looking forward to the remainder of it," Gruender said.

"We're getting a lot of people beeping their horns and waving at us, and we haven't gotten the finger yet, so it's like we're doing pretty good," Pirrung said.

Once the men arrive in Appleton Sunday, March 18th the running isn't over. After their 135 mile run, they will compete in a 10K run, where they'll be pushing disabled veterans in their racing chairs.