Mountain Man March

The second annual Mountain Man March will be taking place on April 4 this year in Gatlinburg Tennessee. This march is a tribute to the men and women in uniform and honors 1LT Frank Walkup who was killed during his tour in Iraq in 2007. 1LT. Walkup was a Tennessee Native and graduated from the University of Tennessee. Once he graduated he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Infantry. He was deployed to Iraq and was killed on June 16, 2007 by an explosive device that detonated near his position during a patrol. This march honors him and has become a tribute to the rest of the soldiers who didn’t make it home from their deployments.

The Mountain Man March starts at 9am on Saturday, April 4 in downtown Gatlinburg TN and goes up Highway 321 to Pittman Center Road. The march cover 26.2 miles in the Smoky Mountains with stretches of roads and includes off road terrain and mountain slopes. This march drew in thousands of participants last year. It’s become a tribute to all members in the military by fellow military personnel, veterans, and civilians. The motto of the event is “Honor Through Actions” and those who participate walk 26.2 miles in the military boots.

There are categories for the Mountain Man March: Military Heavy, Military Light and civilian. There is an entry fee of $50 per person or $200 for a group of five. The entry fee does include light breakfast on the morning of April 4, snack foods and water at any of the 12 water points along with a BBQ meal at the finish line and awards for those who participated.

This event is sponsored by UT-Knoxville Army ROTC Ranger Company. Anyone is able to join the event and proceeds do go to support the Ranger Company and also to the Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund in the name of 1st LT Walkup.