- April 18, 2026
Palm Coast Fire Department's Caleb Dann plays Taps to close the pre-race ceremony at the Tunnel to Towers 5K in Palm Coast. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Runners at the start of the Tunnel to Towers 5K at Central Park in Town Center in Palm Coast. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Melanie DiMartino sang the national anthem. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said he was "proud to serve a community that provides unwavering support to first responders." Photo by Brent Woronoff
Palm Coast Fire Department Chief Kyle Berryhill said part of his inspiration to join the fire service was seeing the heroes of 911. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Palm Coast Fire Department Chief Kyle Berryhill presented the Follow the Footsteps Award to the family of Robert MacDonald: daughter Courtney, grandson Nathan and wife Carole. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, left, presented the Youth Follow the Footsteps award to Michael Hall of Oviedo. Hall was joined by his family. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Sharon Ingram ran for a hero. "In 2002 I saw the devastation [of 911]," she said. "I had never seen Manhattan totally silent before." Photo by Brent Woronoff
Palm Coast Fire Department Honor Guard presented colors. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Saahil Baxi, 18, (left) with his father Minesh and sister Macy, was the first to finish the Tunnel to Towers 5K with a time of 17 minutes, 35 seconds. Saahil has a podcast, Future Millionaires, "helping 1,000 teenagers become millionaires with one powerful idea." Apply to be a guest at https://mbaxi.com/saahil-podcast-1611. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matthew Daly, 27, of Palm Coast finished 13th. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Giselle Colon of Marion County Fire Rescue was the first firefighter running in bunker gear to finish the Tunnel to Towers 5K. Her time was 28:49.15. Colon drove two hours from Ocala to participate in the 8 a.m. event. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Giselle Colon of Marion County Fire Rescue was the first firefighter running in bunker gear to finish the Tunnel to Towers 5K with a time of 28:49.15. Colon drove two hours from Ocala to participate in the 8 a.m. event. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Palm Coast Fire Department Driver Engineer Ozzie Sene rings the bell to honor fallen firefighters in the pre-race ceremony. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Some firefighters ran the Tunnel to Towers 5K in their bunker gear in honor of Stephen Siller. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Tunnel to Towers 5K participants walk with their dogs. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Tara Lagarde, 53, of Palm Coast, was the first female finisher with a time of 22:07.91. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Shaboah Peralta, 17, of Palm Coast finished first in the female 18 and under age group. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Cherise Wintz, 60, of Port Orange finished first in the female 60-69 age group. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Palm Coast Fire Department Pipes and Drums during the pre-race ceremony. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Palm Coast Fire Department Driver Engineer Ozzie Sene rings the bell to honor fallen firefighters in the pre-race ceremony. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Many of the participants in the Tunnel to Towers 5K ran for heroes. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Over 300 runners and walkers finished the fifth annual Palm Coast Tunnel to Towers 5K on Saturday, April 18, at Central Park in Town Center. Some wore “I Run for Heroes” T-shirts, honoring specific fallen heroes. Some firefighters ran in full bunker gear.
Robert “Sparky” MacDonald, who died on Dec. 28, 2025, at 74, walked the first Palm Coast Tunnel to Towers 5K in 2022 in bunker gear, much to the consternation of Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill. In the ceremony prior to this year's race, Berryhill presented the Follow the Footsteps Award posthumously to MacDonald with his wife, Carole, and daughter Courtney accepting.
MacDonald was a volunteer firefighter in New Jersey. After retiring to Palm Coast, “he was a wonderful advocate for police and firefighters,” here, Berryhill said.
Berryhill noted that the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s mantra is “While we have time, let us do good.”
“Robert MacDonald had time and he wanted to do good,” Berryhill said.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly presented the Youth Follow the Footsteps Award to Michael Hall of Oviedo “who runs for fallen heroes,” Staly said. Hall ran a mile, Staly said, for Flagler County Sheriff’s Office K-9, Kyro, who died in the line of duty last October.
Staly told the crowd that he was "proud to serve a community that provides unwavering support to first responders."
The Palm Coast Fire Department Honor Guard presented colors. Melanie DeMartino sang the national anthem.
Saahil Baxi, 18, of Palm Coast, was the first to cross the finish line in the 5K with a time of 17 minutes, 35.6 seconds. Joshua Brands, 28, of Palm Coast, was second in 17:55.89.
Volunteer Race Director Patrick Appolonia said the event was expected to raise more than $10,000 for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. In five years, the Palm Coast event has raised close to $100,000, Appolonia said.
The nationwide Tunnel to Towers 5K honor Stephen Siller, a Brooklyn firefighter, who was one of the 343 first responders killed in New York City on 9/11. Siller, who was off duty, grabbed his bunker gear after learning of the attack on the World Trade Center. After getting stuck in traffic at Brooklyn’s Battery Tunnel, he ran in full gear from the tunnel to the towers.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation supports the families of fallen and catastrophically injured first responders and military heroes.
For complete results, visit runwalkpalmcoast.t2t.org/Race/Results/Overview/
