This Coastal Connection is sponsored by Baths by Spicer Bros.
MILTON, Del. - As the weather warms on Delmarva, runners and walkers are becoming a common sight on local streets. In Milton, however, one runner stands out. He moves through town in full firefighter gear while carrying an American flag.
Allen Jackson, a former Marine and National Guard member who now serves as a firefighter in Milton, is running miles around town this year to honor the firefighters who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Cars pass Jackson as he runs on Mulberry Street in Milton.
Jackson’s goal is to run 343 miles in 2026, one mile for each of the 343 firefighters killed when the World Trade Center towers collapsed.
“The 343 miles that I’m trying to run comes from the 343 firefighters who lost their lives that day in the Twin Towers,” Jackson said. For Jackson, the tribute is deeply personal. “It hits deep and heavy,” he said.
Jackson’s runs often take him along streets such as Mulberry Street in Milton. On any given day, he runs between one and three miles while wearing a 20-pound weighted vest designed to simulate the air pack firefighters carry into burning buildings.
Since the start of the year, Jackson has completed more than 90 miles toward his goal.
The runs have drawn encouragement from people in the community. “I’m getting a lot of horns blown at me, waves, thumbs up. People just yelling words of encouragement,” Jackson said.
Running has long been part of Jackson’s life. He regularly participates in firefighter themed races, including the Tunnel to Towers run and a firefighting 5K at Cape Henlopen State Park that benefits the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company. He first ran that race in full gear with a flag in 2018.
If he stays on pace, Jackson expects to reach 343 miles around September, close to the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Since the start of the year, Jackson has completed more than 90 miles toward his goal. If he stays on pace, he expects to reach 343 miles around September, near the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Jackson says each mile represents the firefighters who never made it out of the Twin Towers.