One Flag Forward 2026

One Flag Forward is a 250-mile flag relay from New York City to Washington, DC, jointly organized by the veterans’ nonprofit Team Red, White & Blue and wear blue: run to remember, and presented by USAA. It is the 2026 successor to Team RWB’s Old Glory Relay, which ran from 2014 to 2024, and the Old Glory Ultra Relay of 2025. The occasion is the 25th anniversary of 11 September 2001 and 250 years of US military service, and the relay honours the 1.3 million Americans who have died in service.

A single flag is carried the whole distance, handed from person to person, covering roughly 50 miles a day over five days from Saturday 12 to Wednesday 16 September 2026. The first public segment steps off at 6:55 a.m. from the Intrepid at Pier 86 in New York; the route runs through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland to Washington, DC, with the final segment starting at 4:45 p.m. on 16 September. Each day carries a theme — Unity, Service, Honor, Sacrifice and Legacy. A published finish time is not given.

Fifteen public route segments have published start times, addresses and mileages, ranging from one to ten miles; anyone can join them and no registration is required, with participants arranging their own transport and following per-segment safety requirements. Taking part is free; a donation of $50 or more returns the official event shirt. The framing centres Gold Star families, surviving family members, veterans, service members and military families, but civilians are explicitly invited — the organizers say the public may run one mile, 100 miles, or support from the roadside. Eight separately-registered free community events run alongside the relay in other states, each with its own RunSignup page. The flag is carried by Lisa Hallett and CSM (Ret.) Lee Yoneyama of wear blue and Col. (Ret.) Michael Sullivan of Team RWB. No age minimum or pet policy is published.