Salute the Troops Half Marathon

The annual Salute the Troops Memorial Races feature 5 events: a (13.1) half marathon run, 13.1 mile Ruck March, 5K Ruck March, 5K run/walk and a kids ‘fun run’ for children 12 and under is only $10. Our course is wheelchair friendly for the entire course as we follow the prairie trail through and around Fond du Lac. This annual running event helps raise money for Salute the Troops of Wisconsin which uses that funding to help Veterans in Fond du Lac, Sheboygan and Dodge counties. All proceeds stay local.

Oven Island is our command central. Day of registration and all of the kids’ activities including the bounce house and games are on Oven Island. The Kid’s Fun Run is a way to get children excited about a healthy lifestyle and to participate in an event that they will be able to do through the ages.

The Dobogai Memorial 5K Run/Walk is in memory of Derek Dobagi. Derek was a law enforcement and justice administration major at Western Illinois University, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2003. He received an active duty commission in 2003 as a second lieutenant in the United States Army through the Reserve Officers Training Corps. He then attended the Infantry Officer Basic Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. That year he was named Lieutenant of the Year for the 25th Infantry Division. Derek was deployed to Iraq and served as the Brigade Scout Platoon Leader. On 22 August 2007, Derek and his ten-man scout team were returning to FOB Warrior after a successful mission. The Army Blackhawk helicopter – call sign “Jenna” – they were flying in crashed. Derek, his scouts, and the four-man Blackhawk crew were killed. Since 2009, Derek’s family has been honoring his memory and the memories of his comrades with a Memorial 5K Race in Fond du Lac.

Our 5K Ruck March takes place inside the park boundaries while the Salute Half Marathon and the Brandon Michael Memorial Ruck March start at Oven Island, takes advantage of our loop trail and city streets, the recreational trail along Hwy 151, and Winnebago Dr before finishing back at Oven Island.