Brandon Marchioni, a Marine veteran of the Iraq War, participated in the DAV 5K with his family.

When Marine veteran and DAV life member Brandon Marchioni first participated in the DAV 5K over a decade ago, he didn’t realize how many cherished memories he would make. What began as a way to give back to ill and injured veterans like himself evolved into a meaningful family tradition. And with traditions come lifelong memories.

One memory that still resonates with Marchioni involved his Navy veteran grandfather, Cliff Deyer.

In the early years of the DAV 5K, Deyer would accompany his grandson to celebrate his fellow veterans.

“The last year he could participate, he was in a wheelchair,” Marchioni recalled. “As we neared the last quarter mile, motorcycle groups were lined up, cheering everyone on. My grandfather told me to stop because he wanted to thank them for their service. So I helped him out of the wheelchair, and he shook every person’s hand, telling them thank you.”

Though he may not have realized it then, that moment solidified for Marchioni why the DAV 5K is so important to him and the veteran community.

“It’s so cool, right? I mean, just the situation’s importance and neatness,” he said. “The 5K has always been a great family event, and that’s why it’s so important—it connects people of all backgrounds to the military community.”

Bryce McMullen, a seventh grader from Cincinnati, stood ready at the DAV 5K start line.

That generation-spanning connection continued during the 2024 DAV 5K, with first-time participants like Bryce McMullen, a seventh grader from Cincinnati. As a new and ambitious runner, Bryce saw the event as a great way to improve his running skills while also honoring our nation’s heroes—and one, in particular, who is close to him.

“It’s special to know this race is dedicated to veterans,” he said. “My grandfather is an Air Force veteran, so I feel like I am making him and my family proud by running.”

Bryce ran alongside his family and was eager to tell his classmates about the experience, hoping to encourage them to join next year’s race. He was just one of the over 2,400 in-person participants who walked, ran or rode to honor our nation’s heroes—including many loved ones.

Like Bryce, Tricia Oehler was running to honor veterans, though she was no newcomer to the 5K. A wife and daughter of Navy veterans, Oehler began participating over a decade ago after she spotted a billboard for the event in Cincinnati.

“My grandparents, cousins, uncles, father, stepfather and husband all served our country,” Oehler said. “Seeing that billboard excited me because it combined my passion for supporting veterans with my love of running.”

Tricia Oehler (bottom left) with her family and friends at the DAV 5K.

Oehler has participated in all but one DAV 5K since then, and in five years she raised over $8,000 to support ill and injured veterans. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, she remained committed to her mission by participating in DAV’s first virtual 5K.

“The virtual 5K was the most special year for me,” she said. “My stepfather, Robert Ewers, who was a Navy veteran, was suffering from Alzheimer’s at the time and was housebound. I planned my route so that I would end up at his house. When I arrived, I gave him the medal the DAV team had sent me. So it felt like he was able to participate with me.”

Over the years, Oehler has encouraged dozens of her friends and family members to join her. When inviting others to join the race, she shares why DAV is so important to her.

“I tell people that it’s just an incredible way to help our everyday heroes,” Oehler said. “Our nation’s veterans have sacrificed a piece of their lives to keep us free, so I love that I can give back by exercising and raising money.”