Memorial events marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks continued in Arizona with the Tunnel to Towers 5K Run and Walk in Tempe on Sunday, September 13, 2026.
The event began at 7.30am at Tempe Beach Park, bringing participants together to remember those killed in the attacks and honour the emergency workers who responded.
The annual run is organised by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which was established in memory of New York firefighter Stephen Siller.
Siller had finished his shift at Brooklyn’s Squad 1 on September 11, 2001, when he heard that a plane had struck the World Trade Centre. After returning for his protective equipment, he ran through the closed Brooklyn Battery Tunnel towards the Twin Towers.
He was among the first responders who died while attempting to save others. The 5K follows the spirit of that journey and has become a recurring part of September 11 commemorations across the United States.
The Tempe gathering formed part of a wider weekend of memorials and tributes honouring the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks, as communities reflected on the lives lost and the continued service of firefighters, police officers, paramedics and other first responders.
