New York City will host the 25th Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk on Sunday, September 27, with thousands of participants retracing the route taken by FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller on September 11, 2001.
The 3.5-mile event will begin in Brooklyn at 9.30am and finish in Manhattan. It follows Siller’s final journey through the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel, formerly known as the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, towards the World Trade Centre.
Siller, who was off duty when the attacks began, strapped on around 60lb of firefighting equipment and ran through the tunnel after it had been closed to traffic. He died while attempting to reach and rescue people at Ground Zero.
25th Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk
The anniversary race is expected to bring together runners, walkers, first responders and veterans. Organisers have limited this year’s field to 30,000 participants, and registration has now closed.
The event also commemorates the 343 FDNY firefighters, law enforcement officers and civilians killed on September 11, as well as people who have since died from illnesses linked to the attacks.
Proceeds support Tunnel to Towers Foundation programmes for first responders, veterans and families of fallen service members.
New York street closures
Road closures will be introduced along the course in Brooklyn and Manhattan at the discretion of the NYPD.
In Brooklyn, affected roads include Beard Street, Richards Street, Van Brunt Street, Hamilton Avenue, Columbia Street and Dwight Street, as well as the Manhattan-bound entrance to the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel.
In Manhattan, closures are planned for sections of West Street, Liberty Street, Vesey Street, Murray Street, Warren Street, North End Avenue and South End Avenue. The Battery Park Underpass and parts of the Battery Park Esplanade will also be affected.
Drivers and residents have been advised to allow extra time for journeys as the event moves from Brooklyn into Lower Manhattan.
