Running in honor of fallen State Trooper

There was a bone-chilling wind on Saturday but that didn’t stop the heart-warming ceremony put on by Zachary Pruss, a runner with the national Running 4 Heroes campaign.
The Reed-Custer freshman led a one-mile run down Main Street in Braidwood in honor of Illinois State Trooper Corey Thompsen who died in the line of duty on Oct. 18, 2024, when his State Police motorcycle was hit by a truck while on patrol in Champaign County.
The run was supported by 15 escort vehicles including Illinois State Police squad cars, the Braidwood Police and Fire Departments and the Braidwood ESDA units. Attending the ceremony were Trooper Thompsen’s wife, parents and brother, plus members of the Plainfield South HS cross country team where Thompsen was once a member.
Pruss has recorded 28 memorial runs for firefighters and police officers from across the country, each one mile long, including two for lost K9s. Each run includes a police/firefighter escort with an honor flag that is returned to the family of each victim.
Pruss is already planning another run for State Trooper Clay Carns who was struck and killed by a vehicle Dec. 23 on Interstate 55 just north of Blodgett Road.
To learn more about Pruss’ most recent runs visit the Running4Heroes page on Facebook.