Billings Patriot Run Honors Veterans and Helps Families Lay Heroes to Rest

In Billings, Mountview Cemetery, alongside Billings Parks & Recreation, is preparing for the 3rd Annual Patriot Run, an event where every stride helps honor and support local veterans. This year’s run takes place Saturday, November 9, offering both a 2K and 5K course for walkers and runners of all ages.

Running to Ensure Every Veteran’s Final Rest Is Free of Burden

The Patriot Run isn’t just about fitness or fun, it’s about gratitude. Funds raised go directly toward covering burial costs for veterans and maintaining the veterans’ section of Mountview Cemetery, where more than 1,500 service men and women rest. In total, the cemetery holds roughly 25,000 graves, each one carrying a story worth remembering.

Cemetery Supervisor Brandon Schmidt explained that while the Department of Veterans Affairs provides headstones and the city provides the graves, families are still responsible for expenses like opening, closing, and setting up funeral services. His mission? “To bury those who wish to be buried in the veteran’s section at no cost to the family.”

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A Navy Veteran’s Mission to Honor Service Beyond the Uniform

Schmidt knows firsthand what it means to serve. After 24 years in the U.S. Navy, he retired as a commander in 2020. His dedication didn’t end there. “I always wanted to be able to do something for the veteran community,” he said. “And I wanted to get more of the public utilizing the cemetery.”

For him, Mountview Cemetery is more than a burial ground, it’s a place of beauty and reflection. “Cemeteries were the first parks,” Schmidt said. “Way back in the day, people would have picnics here. It’s serene, quiet, and a great place to walk or run.”

Restoring and Protecting Mountview’s Sacred Grounds

Mountview’s paved paths wind through peaceful grounds open to families and visitors year round even in winter, when snowplows keep them clear. Leashed dogs are welcome, making it a community friendly space.

The event also supports ongoing restoration efforts. In the past two years, three vehicle crashes along Central Avenue damaged or destroyed more than 75 veteran markers and even took out the front entry sign. Since then, large concrete flower planters have been installed as protective barriers, and this year’s run will help fund new beautification projects, including flower planting in the veterans’ section.

How to Join and Support the Patriot Run

The 5K race will take participants on a two-loop course through the cemetery, while the 2K race will be one lap. Registration is available online at RunSignUp.com, with entry fees of $35 for both the 2K and 5K, or $15 for the 2K for kids aged 12 and under.

Packet pickup runs from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with the 2K starting at noon and the 5K at 1 p.m. on Sunday, November 9.  For those who can’t attend in person, donations are welcomed through the event page.

Community Sponsors Help Keep the Patriot Run’s Mission Alive

This year’s Patriot Run wouldn’t be possible without local support. Sponsors include Mayor Bill Cole and his wife Anne, Meadow Green Outdoor Power Equipment, Billings Monument, Alternative Athletics, and Phillips 66.

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Each step taken on race day is more than a stride across pavement, it’s a small act of remembrance, a thank you to those who served, and a promise that their sacrifice will never be forgotten.