MILTON, Del. - 25 years since the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Allen Jackson, a former Marine and National Guard member who now serves as a firefighter in Milton completed his goal of running 343 miles this year for the 343 firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11.Â
Jackson completed his mission on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. The final stretch of Jackson's run brought him down Union Street in Milton. Jackson crossed his finish line at the Milton firehouse at around 1:10. A ceremony was held there commemorating his feat and the day of remembrance.Â
The ceremony held at the Milton firehouse featured speeches from Jackson himself as well as Milton mayor John Collier. Delaware state police were also in attendance. For Jackson, he says that today was not the last run he will participate in.
"There was also six EMT paramedics that lost their life in the towers that day. And I believe it was 60 law enforcement officers. I'm probably going to end up dropping the fire gear, throw on a weight vest, run six more miles for them, paramedics and EMTs and swapped the flag up for the thin blue line flag and run to 60 miles in honor of those law enforcement officers that paid the ultimate sacrifice."Â
While wearing a 20-pound weighted vest designed to simulate the air pack firefighters carry into burning buildings, Jackson would run one to three miles a day. Jackson also carried an American flag on his runs. Jackson has said that he received encouragement from passing motorists.
Jackson has run for a cause in the past. He participates regularly 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.
