April 15, 2026 (Cape Cod, MA) – Heroes In Transition (HIT) is inviting the public to cheer on the 15 teams competing in the 11th Annual Ruck4HIT Presented by The Baldwin Group as they cross the finish line on Saturday, April 25th at the Cape Cod Fairgrounds in East Falmouth.
“By the time this year’s Ruck4HIT is over, teams will have rucked over 200 miles and roughly 36 hours all to give back to local service members, veterans, and military families,” said Ruck4HIT Race Director Ron Chapman, “We think that’s something for our community to celebrate. We’re excited to offer a post-race party that will be fun for the entire family.”
The free event, which starts at 11 am and ends at 2 pm, will feature entertainment by DJ Sister Spin as well as live music by Wayside Sound and Mike Pierce of East Falmouth. Army veteran Stephanie Viva, the Executive Director of the Mashpee Chamber of Commerce and the owner of Lemonadio and Stephanie Viva Communications, will serve as the MC for the celebration.
There will be a variety of activities for the entire family, including face painting by Silly Faces with Sarah; Gateway Laser Tag of Wareham; an inflatable obstacle course courtesy of the Army National Guard; cornhole provided by Cape Cod Cornhole; and games for the children led by Klub Kidz of Mashpee.
Several local food trucks will be serving up tasty drinks and food including the Lobster Trap of Bourne; Clambakes, Etc. of Sandwich; Mix & Muddle; Beyond the Grind of East Falmouth; Cap’n Mike’s Tiki Fleet of Plymouth; and SWAT Culinary Assault Vehicle of Plymouth.
Along with the opportunity to purchase Ruck4HIT and Heroes In Transition apparel, there will be multiple vendors at the finish line who will be showcasing their products and services as well as offering free giveaways. They include Dephy of Boxborough, which will be demonstrating their Sidekick bionic footwear; Volunteers of America; Top Shot Invitational; Wicked Ducks of Marblehead; Cape Cod Regenerative Medicine of West Barnstable; FitPlan Cape Cod of Mashpee; and Hydrata IV Bar.
This year’s Ruck4HIT will kick off around 1 am on Friday, April 24th at the Cape Cod Fairgrounds, with 13 teams making their way through every town on Cape Cod over the course of 36 hours. Another two teams will compete in the new HELOS Division, leaving from the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown on April 24th just before 7 pm.
Teams consist of a minimum of 7 runners and 2 drivers. While wearing a 10- to 20-pound rucksack, runners will run a 2- to 4-mile leg before switching off with a teammate. Over the course of the Ruck4HIT, each runner will have rucked anywhere from 25 to 35 miles.
What makes the Ruck4HIT unique is the rucksack which symbolizes the burdens our military and veterans carry in service to our country.
This year’s event will draw nearly 160 people from throughout Cape Cod and other parts of Massachusetts including Plymouth, New Bedford, Lakeville, Hopedale, Wareham, Cambridge, Milford, Sutton, Hopkinton, Rockland, Winchester, Duxbury, and Rehoboth. There will be participants traveling from as far away as Hawaii, Florida, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.
Another 200 volunteers will lend their time and talents, helping to staff the opening ceremony and finish line party as well as the 71 exchanges along the race course.
The event benefits HIT, a Mashpee-based nonprofit that is now in its 17th year and which was started by Cyndy and the late Kenneth Jones following the death of their only son, U.S. Marine Capt. Eric A. Jones, who was killed in a helicopter crash while flying a combat mission in Afghanistan in October 2009.
Cyndy and Kenneth formed HIT to honor Eric’s life, service, and sacrifice which it does through its 15 programs which assist nearly 2,500 individuals on an annual basis.
Along with The Baldwin Group, sponsors for the Ruck4HIT include Capewide Construction, Inc.; Clambakes, Etc.; Crane Appliance; Falmouth Road Race; Dephy; In Memory of Eric & Ken Jones; SafeCo Insurance; Cape Cod 5; Arbella Insurance Foundation; 382 Communications; Shipwrecked; Pure Insurance; All Star Healthcare Solutions; The Lanes Bowl & Bistro; Mashpee Pops; Cape & Coast Bank; Cape Regenerative Medicine; Lighthouse Electrical Contracting, Inc.; Stopping Traffic, LLC; Shore One Insurance; Central Insurance; Cape Cod Aggregates Corp.; Rockland Trust Foundation; Falmouth Elks Lodge #2380; Orleans Eastham Elks Lodge #2572; Stop & Shop; and Cape Cod’s X.
