NITRO, W.Va. — The thousands of bikers who run for the wall in Washington D.C. every year say they ride for those who can’t.
Around 325 of them rolled through the City of Nitro Wednesday afternoon for a ceremony at the Living Memorial Park. That morning, they were in Corydon, Indiana. On Monday, Memorial Day, riders will be in Washington D.C. at the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Wall.
Three of the four total routes run by bikers start in Ontario, California. The fourth “sandbox” route leaves D.C. and heads to Marseilles, Ilinois on the Sunday of the Memorial Day weekend. All other routes, the central route, the midway route and the southern route, start in California and end up at the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.
Day eight of their 10 day mission brought them through West Virginia. On Thursday, riders part of the central route will be at the Veterans Memorial on the Capitol Grounds in Charleston before traveling to Rainelle in Greenbrier County and then spending Thursday night in Lewisburg.
Not all riders are veterans but that doesn’t matter to the rest of the crew. Todd Taylor, West Virginia Coordinator of Run for the Wall, says he’d describe the rest of the riders as patriots.
“We’re honoring our military and fallen soldiers,” he said. “Some of us are veterans and some of us are patriots.”
Taylor said the support and American spirit they’ve seen from folks in all the different towns and cities along the way has truly been unforgettable.
“It’s almost like a tunnel of flags at almost every evening stop we go to,” he said. “The whole community comes out to support us and cheer us on.”
Almost every overpass that the riders go through has people packed above with their American flags and firetrucks standing by.
Rider Suzan Streed hails from Loveland, Colorado. It’s her first year taking part in the Run for the Wall. A rich history of veterans in her family were enough of a reason for her to make the cross-country trip.
“It’s a journey and an awesome ride,” she said.
Streed said she’s excited to get to D.C. but the past few days have been a remarkable experience for her. She’s made plenty of friends along the way, both who are also riders and people who stop in town to see them come through.
“It’s heartwarming,” said Streed. “There’s a lot of friends and then you make more friends.”
Robert Thornton is a veteran himself. After 10 years of riding across the country in the Run for the Wall, the 76-year-old said time is catching up to him and this year will be his last.
Thornton has battled many demons. He said he has severe combat-related PTSD, but he called the ride with over 300 of his fellow bikers “a lifesaver.”
“Coming to the wall every year for the last 10 years has really cleansed my soul,” he said. “I’m clean and sober almost two years now. God has blessed me.”
It’s an emotional 10 days in May for so many bikers across the country, Thornton included. He said every year he goes to see two very special people at the wall.
“It can’t be explained how you feel inside but when I get to the wall, it’s a real psalm feeling,” said Thornton.
It’s safe to say that West Virginia currently has momentum on the recruiting trail.
The Mountaineers have added eleven commitments since the start of June with the 2025 recruiting class currently perched inside the top 25 according to the Rivals.com national rankings. And while that can change in a flash, the work done to even get to that point doesn’t happen overnight.
The West Virginia football program has landed a commitment from Wyndmoor (Pa.) La Salle College High 2025 spear Chris Fileppo.
Fileppo, 6-foot-3, 210-pounds, flipped his pledge to the Mountaineers from James Madison where he had been committed since April. The versatile athlete also held offers from Purdue, South Florida, Connecticut, Villanova, Monmouth and a number of others.
The Rivals.com two-star prospect received an offer from West Virginia in May and those efforts were spearheaded by secondary coach ShaDon Brown.
Fileppo made the trek to West Virginia over the weekend for an official visit and saw enough to end his recruitment by committing to the Mountaineers shortly after its conclusion.
Fileppo is set to play spear for West Virginia on defense, but also has the skill set where he could end up at free safety depending on how he continues to develop.
Fileppo represents the sixth commitment for West Virginia in the defensive backfield behind Tampa (Fla.) Gaither 2025 cornerback Serious Stinyard, Irmo (S.C.) Dutch Fork 2025 cornerback Elgin Sessions, Richmond (Va.) Trinity Episcopal 2025 defensive back Terrance “Deuce” Edwards, Lakeland (Fla.) 2025 defensive back Sammy Etienne and Huntington (W.Va.) 2025 safety Zah Jackson.
He is the 18th commitment overall.
WVSports.com breaks down the commitment of Fileppo and what it means to the West Virginia Mountaineers football program both now and in the future.
Skill set:
Fileppo is a long rangy safety that has the frame to fill out even further. He is a sure tackler and has no reservations coming down into the box to spill ball carriers. He is equipped with the speed and athleticism to cover a lot of ground and his skill set is a good fit for what the program wants at the spear spot.
Fileppo plays both sides of the ball and creates separation as a wide receiver, showcasing his athleticism. He displays strong coverage skills and plays the game with a high IQ in the backend of the defense. He possesses good ball skills and shows the ability to track the football well to both make plays on it and deliver hits.
Fitting the program:
West Virginia continues to target versatility and length in the back end of the defense and Fileppo certainly possesses both of those traits. He has the size and skill set to move around to multiple positions but will likely start his career at either spear or possibly even the free safety spot.
This is a player that secondary coach ShaDon Brown targeted and was able to get him to campus in order to close the deal in his recruitment. The Mountaineers were also able to go into neighboring Pennsylvania to fill a need in the recruiting class and gives the program a safety that can move around to multiple positions.
Fileppo will step into a position where they will be seven scholarship players on the roster when he arrives on campus and with his ability to bounce around it opens doors for him to potentially challenge for early time.
Recruiting the position:
West Virginia has hit the defensive backs hard in this cycle and while there are options out there, expect the Mountaineers to be selective if there are any additional prospects added to the class.
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Owings Mills (Md.) McDonogh 2025 defensive end Elijah Crawford made his official visit to West Virginia over the weekend and left campus with a strong understanding of what the program is about.
Crawford, 6-foot-4, 265-pounds, had visited Morgantown before but this trip allowed him to really see the family dynamic and camaraderie within the program.
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