Lisa Hallett is a single mom to three kids, a war widow, an endurance athlete and CEO of national not-for-profit organization wear blue: run to remember. 

Thirty-seven years ago, she met the love of her life at her small elementary school in northern California. He was seven; she was five. He had pegged pants and she had a mullet. 

This redheaded, freckled-faced second grader grew up to attend West Point and become an officer in the United States Army: Captain John Hallett. He graduated from West Point in the spring of 2001, beginning his military career at an unimaginably dangerous and demanding time.

After a 14-month deployment to Iraq, John took command of an infantry Stryker company in November of 2008.

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Getting Involved

There are a number of options for retailers and running brands to become involved with wear blue events …

• Community Runs. Weekly no-cost runs or walks hosted by wear blue volunteers. Each community gathering begins with a Circle of Remembrance, speaking the names of our fallen service members, and is followed by a self-paced run or walk through the community. It is a place of connection, support, and healthy living for athletes of all abilities. 

• Tribute wear blue Mile. A one-mile stretch of a run or race course that creates a living memorial to our nation’s fallen service members. The first half features names and images of fallen service members, followed by cheering community members holding full-sized American flags in their honor, a celebration of life, country and our charge to live inspired by their examples.

• Honor Events. From the Piestewa Challenge honoring women and indigenous communities in military service to a vibrant Memorial Day effort, wear blue holds dynamic global virtual and in-person events to honor our fallen and connect our communities in shared purpose. 

• Gold Star Race Program. A program that gives surviving family members the opportunity to tackle a daunting endurance run in honor of their fallen loved ones and receive the support and community to navigate their personal journey of grief.

• Gold Star Youth Mentorship Program. A multi-month, run-focused mentorship for school-aged-youth who have lost a parent or sibling as a result of their military service. Youth are matched with military-connected mentors and train for a 5K, building resilience, healthy habits and a meaningful connection to a life of service. 

 The following summer, July 2009, John deployed with his brigade to Southern Afghanistan.  

Three weeks after John left, their daughter, Heidi, was born. And three weeks after that, during her first military family meeting of the deployment, the rear detachment commander escorted her to the battalion classroom, where a gentleman held a white piece of paper… a script: “The secretary of defense regrets to inform you that your husband, CPT John L. Hallett, is believed to have perished in the fires…” 

John Hallett was killed on August 25, 2009, with three other soldiers on their way home from a goodwill mission. For his unit, it would become a deployment that claimed 59 lives — 41 in Afghanistan and 18 more by suicide.

She turned to the coping mechanism she had leaned on throughout John’s military career: running. For her, it was a tangible accomplishment in a world that felt out of control. “With each step, I tried to run from the pain that life had handed me, but I slowly realized that I was not running from, but through that hurt and fear,” she tells Running Insight.

She did not want to live a life paralyzed by my heartbreak. She wanted a life inspired, motivated and driven. So she ran — first to the corner, then around the block, then a 5K, followed by a 10K, a half marathon, a marathon. Then she found new challenges — trail races, ultra-marathons, double marathons, the Ironman and, most recently, 100-mile races.

In the middle of her personal grief, and these many miles of running, she worked with fellow military spouses and together they formed wear blue: run to remember. This is the story of wear blue: run to remember, in Lisa Hallet’s words.

Tell us about the start of wear blue: run to remember.

As the unit’s deployment dragged on, fellow military spouses began to join us in our weekly runs. We didn’t gather because we loved running. Far from it. Actually, many of us were not runners. We came together because we needed space to grieve, to find strength and to belong. A space where we were simply ourselves. We didn’t have to explain what we were experiencing — we all just knew.

What was it like at the beginning?

We gathered in a parking lot, awkwardly looked at each other and then went for a run around the airfield. But we continued meeting each week. We evolved. We became friends. We became a community. We continued our weekly runs throughout the remainder of the deployment

What is the goal of wear blue: run to remember?

wear blue: run to remember is an inclusive national community that honors the service and sacrifice of the American military through active remembrance. We empower our families of the fallen, support the men and women still in uniform and honor and remember our service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice. We turn the words “Never forget” into tangible, meaningful action. 

And today?

Now, every week thousands of athletes around the world move in blue. From the shores of Iwa Kuni, Japan, to the streets of Fort Campbell, KY, we have 60 communities, six official programs, 15 national races and more than 45,000 participants. Over the past nearly 15 years we have honored thousands of our nation’s fallen military heroes and impacted over two million athletes as they have moved through our tribute displays. 

What does the organization do at races?

wear blue builds living memorials on race courses throughout the year, a one-mile stretch featuring placards with the images and names of fallen service members, followed by local community members holding American flags in honor of each of these heroes. It’s a chance for our local communities to honor and remember the heroes from their own neighborhoods who raised their right hands to serve their countries.  

Is it strictly for families of fallen military?

The reality is most of us have meaningful connections to military service, from our friends to our grandparents to the next generation. It has been a privilege to witness a grateful nation in the aftermath of losing John. 

Why should run specialty retailers and running brands get involved with your organization?

wear blue largely works with new athletes who are looking for guidance and “best of” advice. We’re grateful for partnerships with local running stores to guide our runners to experts in the field. wear blue: run to remember is only possible because of the support of our local running stores and community partners. From building teams for the Piesetewa Challenge to hosting a Memorial Day Circle of Remembrance Run/Walk, wear blue provides easy, no-cost run opportunities for our retailers that tie meaningfully to military and veteran support. 

Any other opportunities?

The Tribute Mile is a wonderful chance to get on the other side of the race course, cheering for the athletes and honoring the fallen, all while standing shoulder to shoulder with our military community. 

Tell us about how you support families?

wear blue hosts four cohorts of 10 families of the fallen throughout the year. Engaged in a peer-support, group mentorship model, these new athletes train for and complete their first marathons in honor of their fallen heroes. We always welcome community supporters to adopt an athlete on their healing journeys, through financial and technical support.

How can retailers get involved?

Retailers can get involved with wear blue in several meaningful ways. To start, visit www.wearblueruntoremember.org to learn more about our programs, volunteering on the wear blue Mile, joining a local wear blue community or building a team for an Honor Event. These activities not only support our mission, but also create a deeper connection with the community. 

What type of resources does it take? 

Involvement may require allocation of time and personnel to participate in events, as well as potential financial contributions through corporate-level giving. Retailers can provide in-kind donations such as products to support our athletes/volunteers or services that enhance the event experience for participants. Additionally, promoting the partnership through marketing efforts can further amplify the impact and reach of both the retailer and wear blue. 

What would a typical event with wear blue: run to remember look like for a store?

A typical wear blue event involves our community run programs meeting across the country on Saturdays to take purposeful steps in honoring our fallen service members. A store’s brand is prominently displayed with banners and signs.

What if there is no wear blue chapter near a store?

In that case stores can take the lead by hosting an Honor Event. Our Honor Events, like the Piestewa Challenge and Memorial Day, invite local veterans, military families, community members and their employees to participate in our virtual race component or host an in-person event. Sponsoring these events provides stores with an opportunity to connect with a dedicated community, enhancing brand visibility, and aligning with a meaningful cause.

What type of retailer should get involved? Do they need to have a military connection or be in a military town?

Any retailer can get involved, regardless of their military connection or location to our wear blue communities. We welcome top brands to aid our community in their running journeys, as they are eager for support and new experiences. 

And what about running product brands and other related groups? How can they get involved?

We value brands that appreciate the dedication of the military and the perseverance of individuals taking on challenging endeavors and navigating difficult loss. As a national organization with a database of more than 45,000 people, our support of military families and those experiencing grief is without boundaries. We encourage retailers and brands everywhere to participate in our events and support the cause. Join a community run in your area or experience the wear blue Mile. 

This is sort of a milestone year for you, isn’t it?

August 25, 2024 marks the 15th anniversary of when my husband, CPT John Hallett, was killed in combat in Afghanistan. For me, zero and five milestones are heart-stopping. In our hectic, fast-paced world, they mark an earnest passage of time and crystalize the absence of someone we love. Our family proudly chose a life of service, but we didn’t choose the hard that we were given on August 25, 2009. As I move toward this anniversary, I want to redefine that hard. I want to turn our hard into good.

Finally, how are you marking this anniversary?

This year, 15 years after John gave his life, I will run a 150K (93 miles) around Mount Rainier in support of our families of the fallen. Winding around the Wonderland Trail, with the support of an incredible team and crew, we will climb and descend 22,000 feet, watch the sun set and the moon rise, feel the temperature drop as we move across the Carbon Glacier, and touch the earth that John didn’t get enough time to do himself. (Ed. Note: Lisa Hallet completed this journey on August 25, 2024.)