Memorial Mile is the most reflective part of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®. It’s where the cheers stop, the conversations fade and participants walk through a stretch of the route lined with signs honoring those who have died from breast cancer.
While participants experience Memorial Mile for only a few quiet moments, a dedicated crew spends hours carefully preparing every tribute sign — each one representing a loved one remembered by the Pink Bubble.
“Memorial Mile is a very important part of the walk,” said Alicia M., who joined the 3-Day in 2010. “It’s a reminder in the middle of the walk of why we’re all here.”
When participants reach Memorial Mile on Day 2, they have already walked nearly 30 miles. Some stop to find the sign of a family member or friend they are walking in memory of, while others take time to read the names and faces of people they never met. It’s a bittersweet stretch of the 3-Day that serves as a powerful reminder of the reason thousands of participants commit to walking up to 60 miles.
Tim P., who has been a part of the 3-Day for 16 years, said Memorial Mile’s placement is intentional.
“It’s that halfway point where participants are ready for a pick-me-up,” Tim said. “After 25 or 30 miles, your body is questioning if you can keep going. Then you reach Memorial Mile and you’re reminded of why you’re walking. That’s where the saying, ‘Blisters are better than chemo,’ really hits home.”
Long before participants reach Memorial Mile, crew members like Alicia and Tim have already spent hours making sure every tribute is displayed with dignity.
“We never let the signs sit on the ground,” Tim said. “They’re always held or placed on carpet in a vehicle until we’re ready to put them up. We’re very disciplined in how they’re displayed, how they’re hung and even making sure the zip ties are trimmed neatly. Since we don’t get to walk Memorial Mile, it’s our way of honoring the people they represent.”
Before joining the crew, Alicia and Tim walked the 3-Day together more than 15 times, giving them firsthand insight into what participants experience when they see Memorial Mile.
For Alicia, the meaning of Memorial Mile has grown over the years.
“I’ve lost people that I’ve walked and crewed with over the years,” she said. “So, it seems like every time I turn around, I have another reason why.”
That personal connection made watching a powerful rainstorm pummel last November’s San Diego 3-Day especially difficult. Crew members rushed to protect the tribute signs they carefully assembled as heavy winds and rain swept across the route.
“The weather was awful. We were dealing with heavy, heavy rain, heavy wind,” Alicia said.
“But even in the chaos of the rain and the flooding, people still stopped,” Tim said, fighting back tears. “They didn’t run through it. They still stopped to pay their respects. That’s why it’s so important to have it no matter what.”
Moments like that are why Tim and Alicia continue coming back to the 3-Day year after year.
“It’s just a safe place in this big, crazy, chaotic world where you get to just be in the Pink Bubble and unite for all the goodness,” Tim said. “That’s why we keep coming back.”
For more information about the 3-Day visit the3day.org.
