National Running Day at Gettysburg, PA

Yesterday my family and I decided to visit one of our National Parks, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  Since it was National Running Day, I had decided to run throughout the battlefield and remember the brave men who fought on those hallowed grounds. 

Our first stop was the Visitor's Center which is only two years old  and see the movie/cyclorama/schedule a tour.

  I also wanted to ensure that I was allowed to run throughout the park and was assured that many runners run in the morning but anytime is allowed.  The movie is narrated by Morgan Freeman and lasts about twenty minutes.  Then you move upstairs to the cyclorama and another brief movie about the battles.  Here is a picture of the cyclorama:

Next, we had lunch and met our tour guide, John.  He guided us through the battlefield for two hours describing the three days of battles which occurred in Gettysburg. John thought initially I was crazy for wanting to run through the battlefield but I was so impressed by his knowledge and foresight in explaining the details of each day's battles and the men who fought during those three days.  I also waited until after our tour was done and then drove back to where I wanted to start my five mile run because I really wanted to remember and pay tribute to our brave soldiers at Gettysburg. 

After our tour was finished, we drove back to Little Round Top and I started my five mile run to end at Pickett's Charge.  Here I am running up to Little Round Top and the view from the bottom:

I continued my run downhill and ran past Spangler's Spring.  Here was the one place where both Union and Confederate troops met and were friendly towards each other.  Why?  Because it was the one safe drinking water spring and every night the troops got water there for the following day. 

From Spangler's Spring, I continued to the Pennsylvania monument.  This monument is dedicated to the 34,000  PA men who lost their lives on these battlefields. 

My son and husband drove there while I ran and we took several pictures. 

I continued my run past several other monuments to the battlefield for Pickett's charge which is in the background.   

I ended my run at the Maryland monuments to complete five and half miles through our National Park. 

What a wonderful day to celebrate National Running Day and running through the site where so many men lost their lives, I am eternally grateful for their sacrifice and the words of President Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address:  "That the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."  What did you do for NRD?  Let me know and let me know if you liked this running day.