Simi Valley 13 Souls Run Marks Fifth Year With New Partnership to Expand Support for Veterans
The 5th Anniversary 13 Souls Memorial Run/Walk/Ride has joined forces with nonprofit Vets & Valor to connect tribute with lasting action for veterans across Ventura County.
(CLAIR | Simi Valley, CA) — The 13 Souls Memorial Run returns Saturday, Aug. 22, with a new partnership designed to keep the memory of 13 fallen service members tied to help for living veterans.
"The 13 Souls Memorial Run/Walk/Ride event is in honor of the 13 US Service Men & Women that lost their lives on August 26, 2021 during the evacuation of Afghanistan and is our way or remembering and honoring those 13 as well as the parent and families that also suffered a loss that day," said Jeff Von Molt, event organizer and president of 13 Souls Run.
The annual event honors 11 Marines, one Navy Corpsman, and one Army soldier killed by a suicide bomber at Abbey Gate during the Kabul evacuation. This year marks the first with Vets & Valor, a local nonprofit that has been helping veterans navigate benefits and resources since 2023.
The partnership gives the memorial a second purpose. Funds raised at the event will support scholarship and memorial funds established by families of the fallen, as well as Wild Ops, which supports veterans with severe PTSD. Vets & Valor will expand access to life-changing resources for veterans across the region. According to the event's website, the collaboration creates a lasting daily tribute as veterans receive help inspired by the 13 who died in the line of duty five years ago.
The event begins at 6 a.m. at the Simi Valley Metrolink parking lot at 5050 E. Los Angeles Ave. Ceremonies start at 6:15 a.m., with runners, walkers, and riders starting at 7 a.m. The course follows the Arroyo west to Madera Street and back. Participants can choose from a 1K, 5K, 10K, or half marathon. Each mile is dedicated to one of the service members lost.
Entry begins at $20. This is not a timed event. Breakfast will be served by the Y's Men group of the Simi Valley YMCA. Early registration is encouraged at 13soulsrun.org or through donations at givesendgo.com/13soulsrun2026.
Several Gold Star and Silver Star families are expected to attend, along with Marines from Camp Pendleton's 2/1 group. Simi Valley Council members and other dignitaries will speak. The event is scheduled to conclude around 11 a.m.
Local support comes from Simi Sunset Rotary, Simi Noon Rotary, Simi Sunrise Rotary, three Knights of Columbus councils, Boy Scouts Troop 622, and the Simi Valley Y's Men of the YMCA. Sponsorships and donations are still needed. Sponsors receive publicity and a tax-deductible donation receipt. Booths are available with some restrictions.
For more information or to become a sponsor, contact Jeff Von Molt at 13soulsrun@gmail.com or visit 13soulsrun.org. The 13 Souls Memorial Run is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 93-1517334.
