Media Invited to Cover 2026 Bataan Memorial Death March

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Release No. 3                                                                   Feb. 18, 2026

Media Invited to Cover 2026 Bataan Memorial Death March

WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. (Feb. 18, 2026) - Sports and news reporters are invited to cover military members and civilians who will converge on White Sands Missile Range Saturday, March 21, 2026, for the running of the Bataan Memorial Death March.

Media registration: Reporters and photographers planning to cover the march, please email: usarmy.wsmr.atec.list.pao@army.mil (include name, news organization and contact information in email).

If you have questions call 575-678-1134.

Participants in this grueling 26.2-mile test of will and endurance will share the common experiences of blisters, sore muscles and exhaustion as they undertake what many consider the toughest marathon-length event in the United States.

The march honors the soldiers who defended the Philippines at the outbreak of World War II. After thousands of American and Filipino Soldiers surrendered to invading Japanese forces on April 9, 1942, their captors marched them more than 60 miles through treacherous jungle and into captivity. Thousands died along the way, and those who survived faced years as prisoners of war. Many died in the prisoner-of-war camps.

The Bataan Memorial Death March offers many story and photo opportunities:

•       Opening ceremonies begin at 6:35 a.m., and the march continues throughout the day

•       Marchers come from all the U.S. Armed Services and include Wounded Warriors

•       Hundreds of volunteers support the event

The White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs Office provides a limited shuttle service for news and sports media representatives to the march route that includes the start and finish lines. The shuttle service begins immediately after the start of the march. The shuttle service only goes to certain locations on the route, any media wishing to see other locations, or to follow a marcher or teams will need to be a registered marcher themselves and march the course. FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PARTICIPANTS AND WORKERS, PRIVATELY-OWNED VEHICLES ARE NOT ALLOWED ON THE MARCH ROUTE.

Further information on the march itself can be found at http://bataanmarch.com/.

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White Sands Missile Range, DoW's largest, fully-instrumented, open air range, provides America's Armed Forces, allies, partners, and defense technology innovators with the world's premiere research, development, test, evaluation, experimentation, and training facilities to ensure our nation's defense readiness.