OUR TOWNS 20th annual Black Hills Veterans March hits the trail in September

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Black Hills Pioneer DEADWOOD – The South Dakota National Guard’s Enlisted Association will host its 20th annual Black Hills Veterans March and Marathon in the Northern Black Hills in September.

The march pays tribute to the many sacrifices made by this nation’s veterans. Many participants also march in honor of fallen service members.

The 26.2-mile march is open to all military service members and the civilian public. Participants can compete as individuals or in five-member teams and can complete the course by walking, running or marching. There is also a 16.2-mile mini-march and team relays available for participants.

“We’ve got around 300 people attempting either the 16 mile, the 26 mile, or the relay,” said 15-year event volunteer and 2022 event chairman Josh Wermers told the Pioneer after last year’s event. He added that nearly 20 states from across the nation will be represented.

The Black Hills Veterans March started 20 years ago when the event’s founders participated in the Bataan Death March endurance event in White Sands, N.M., and were inspired to bring their own event to the Black Hills to raise money for veterans organizations in South Dakota.

“We pick out four or five different veterans organizations in South Dakota that we sponsor every year and we donate all the proceeds back to the community,” Wermers said.

Wermers said what he enjoys most about the event, overall, is bringing the camaraderie together.

“Honoring those soldiers with a landmark dedicated to a fallen hero or families or individuals that dedicate those pictures and it gives people motivation to continue to finish the march,” he said.

Marchers participate for many different reasons.

“Darnell Hubbard was a National Guard member in South Dakota. He just passed away after a long battle with brain cancer. And his wife and his two boys did the full march last year,” Wermers said. “I think Darnell probably did it eight years, he participated in the event.”

The Black Hills Veteran’s March is a strictly run by volunteers.

“No one is on the payroll. We just reach out to our brothers and sisters in arms and this year, we’ve got American Legion out there supporting our rest stops,” Wermers said.

“A bunch of different American Legions. The Auxiliary out of Spearfish is serving our meal. It’s all volunteer event. Nobody is paid to put this thing on.

It’s all out of goodness of our hearts.”

Wermers said what really sets this competition apart from others is the rest stops along the route.

“The first one’s 10 miles and then every three, four, five miles after that,” he said. “We have rest stops that they serve food and drink and we have medical people on the trail to make