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Veteran embarks on 700-mile run for mental health awareness
- Details
- Wednesday, 05 August 2026
- Written by Mahalia Cooks
“Finish lines are lifelines,” according to Army veteran Jonathan Milkovich. This motto is the driving force behind why he founded the nonprofit organization Operation WarriorFit and is embarking on his most ambitious challenge this fall.
Operation WarriorFit helps first responders, veterans and active-duty service members find and maintain their inner purpose and stay fit by funding entries into competitions and active events. Those who’ve dedicated their lives to service can enjoy free or discounted entry into marathons, 5Ks and 10Ks, obstacle course races and many more events.
The organization arose from Milkovich’s own efforts to join races while on a tight budget after he left the military.
Like many, Milkovich started college right at 18, but he soon found that adjusting to this new way of life proved easier said than done.
“I was probably one of those individuals that should not have gone to college at 18,” Milkovich said. “I had a lot to still learn and had a little too much fun right after high school.”
After failing out of college, Milkovich joined the military, which changed his life for better and for worse. Alongside enduring physical ailments like back and knee issues, Milkovich also learned valuable lessons that would influence his future steps.
“It’s where my best friends came from, to this day, and it gave me that discipline in my life as a whole that allowed me to set myself up for success for my second college story,” he said, referring to his successful undergraduate stint and current MBA program at Syracuse University.
Leaving the military required another recalibration of his motivations.
“I came out of service, I’d lost one of my guys right before I got out, and I slowed down, and everything started catching up to me,” Milkovich said. Doing races helped restore that needed structure, but many are expensive to enter, and organizations at the time mainly offered charity bibs for major marathons — not local events.
Operation WarriorFit fills that gap.
Their database currently has over 100 registered members and more than 2,700 race entries in 30 states. To keep things fair, entries are distributed through a lottery system 12 weeks before a race begins, providing enough time for members to train and prepare for their desired event. Once on the road to the race, members can join Community Groups to train with people in their area and maintain their mental and physical resilience through external uplift.
This network of communities exemplifies the organization’s R.E.A.D.Y. framework, which stands for resilience, endurance, accountability, dedication, and, most importantly, you. A race is essentially “giving you that endurance and building that accountability that you can take into other aspects of your life,” Milkovich said. “You’re building those moments that you’re able to really think through something and be like, ‘Hey, this isn’t the hardest thing I’ve done, let me continue through with it.’”
Explore OWF Community Groups at https://www.operationwarriorfit.org/community-groups.
As a part of Milkovich’s actions to spread the word about Operation WarriorFit’s contributions to mental and physical health support and awareness, he’s taking on a new journey that will further his goals.
Operation Carolina is Milkovich’s biggest mission yet: a 700-mile solo run across the state of North Carolina in 17 days. With his aim to cover about 40 miles a day, his run will start on Monday, Sept. 21, in Murphy and end on Wednesday, Oct. 7, in Hatteras Point.
This run will take him from the mountains to the coast and many more places in between, testing his physical and mental endurance throughout. The goal is to start 22 conversations each day about mental health, both in person and on social media.
“We’re gonna take an approach to understand what people are going through and what support we can provide,” Milkovich said, adding that assisting people also involves collaborating with other nonprofits, such as Catch a Lift Fund.
The in-person element is where you come in. Anyone can join the route alongside Milkovich after mile 10 on each day; then, stay for as few or as many miles as you want. Whether you show up individually or with friends, you’ll build community and connect with like-minded people. Milkovich wants participants to walk away knowing this can be the first step that enables them to reach greater heights in racing.
“We want people to come out, whether you can run a mile, bike a mile, skateboard a mile, whatever it may be,” he said.
See more details on how to be a part of the run at https://www.operationwarriorfit.org/operation-carolina.
North Carolinians can keep up with the journey through daily updates, including morning video previews of each day’s route, evening recaps and live GPS tracking through the Operation WarriorFit website. The entire route will also be viewable through an interactive map on Strava at https://www.strava.com/routes/3458317396815052932.
Fleet Feet Charlotte is the title sponsor for Operation Carolina. This business equips runners with the right gear and offers expert training, making them the perfect partner for this bold initiative. Coinciding with their participation, there will be a large community meetup and group run once Milkovich reaches Charlotte.
As Operation WarriorFit is still fairly new, Milkovich and his board of directors look forward to making even bigger moves in supporting service members, veterans and first responders, including offering access to run coaches and training resources and continuing to expand their Community Groups.
Operation WarriorFit will also encompass more events in numerous categories as it grows — from running and rock climbing to biking and swimming.
“If it gets you out there and it gets you moving and healthy and putting something on your calendar to stick around for another week or two, we’re working to have that on our website,” Milkovich said.
Keep up with Operation Carolina on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569077765518 and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/operationwf/. If you’d like to support Operation WarriorFit or apply to start looking for races near you, kick things off at https://www.operationwarriorfit.org/get-involved.
(Photo: Jonathan Milkovich, the founder of Operation WarriorFit, plans to run the 700 miles across the state of North Carolina to raise awareness for mental health for veterans, soldiers and first responders. Photos courtesy of John Milkovich)
