On a sunny Saturday morning at the end of April, Silene Gordon and her son Lou watched in awe as team after team, runner after runner made their way across the finish line of this year’s Ruck4HIT at Cape Cod Coffee in Mashpee.

“That atmosphere, seeing the people coming in, whether they were driving or running with the ruck on, I couldn’t believe how respectful people were after doing that and here I am trying to sell a [Ruck4HIT] T-shirt,” said Lou. “That is where the idea popped in my mind that this is not only a great cause, but you have a great community behind it. I’d love to be a part of that team to help people who served us.”

That was where the seeds were planted for Silene and Lou to run this year’s Falmouth Road Race together. It will be their first time running the iconic race and while admittedly not runners, they could not be more excited to do so in support of Heroes In Transition.

“I get emotional because of the stories that come out of the work we do,” said Silene, who joined HIT as its marketing manager at the beginning of this year. “It is amazing the lives that are impacted, whether it’s families at our FIT Camp or couples at our Couples Retreat. For me, it’s wanting to raise money so I can hear more of these stories because they are so incredibly special.”

So when her son Lou, a 2018 graduate of Bourne High School and a 2022 graduate of Colby College, texted her the night after volunteering at this year’s Ruck4HIT to ask if she’d run the road race with him, she had only one answer.

“For me, it was really important to get a little uncomfortable and offer a little more skin in the game as to raising money for this amazing organization,” Silene said. “The fact that I get to do this with my son and have this experience with him is off the charts. I am so excited about representing HIT and being able to do this with my son. I know it’s going to be a super memorable day.”

Silene’s husband Rupert and her daughter Natalia have run several races before. “Lou and I are always the cheerleaders,” she said.

Although Lou played football in college, as an offensive lineman, running long distances was never a major requirement of his position.

It’s another reason why Silene was compelled to run, knowing that not many former linemen of his size (6’3″) would be taking to the start line in Woods Hole this Sunday. Joining the pair will be two of Lou’s former college teammates and his roommates in Boston, Brett Holmes and Matt Hersch.

“We were all captains our senior year,” said Lou.

For Matt, who was Colby’s quarterback, and Brett, a defensive back at Colby, running is not as much of a challenge as it is for Lou and Silene which is why the mother-son duo have been so committed to training for this year’s race since the Ruck4HIT ended.

“Lou’s knees are really beat up,” Silene said. “And because I have so many knee issues, I’ve had to do interval training.”

It’s why the pair will be leaning on each other as they make their way from Woods Hole to Falmouth Heights on Sunday. And they wouldn’t want it any other way.

“My mom has always been my biggest supporter. And I’m so proud of everything she has been able to accomplish,” Lou said. “Seeing her mindset through this [training] and being able to bounce ideas off of each other and getting to work as a group and form this partnership, because we are kind of a two-man team — we’re a little bit similar like she said in that we’re not the best runners and we kind of have the same genes — has been great.”

He’s also deepened his relationship with both Brett and Matt with the trio texting each other their runs leading up to the race. They even have a friendly wager on the line; Lou’s goal is to run within 20 minutes of Brett’s time.

Seeing her son strengthen his bonds with his friends has been another rewarding aspect of this experience for Silene.

“I love those boys so much. They became my kids when they were playing football. That makes this extra special too,” said Silene. “We keep saying to each other, ‘See you at the finish line.’ I have zero ego which is refreshing because I really want to enjoy this. I want to enjoy the scenery, take it all in, and I want Lou to finish, the boys to finish, and want us all to have a great day.”

To make a donation to the HIT Falmouth Road Race team, click here. All donations will go to support programs which assist veterans, service members, military couples, military spouses, and military families in our region.