Runners Jog In Cambridge To Honor Fallen Hero

BOSTON (CBS) - Runners in Cambridge and in 33 other cities across the country hit the jogging trails Saturday for a charity run in honor of Pat Tillman.

Tillman had a career as a football player in the NFL. He left the playing field and joined the Army after 9/11.

The 28-year-old former football player was killed by friendly fire in 2004 while he served in an Army Ranger unit in Afghanistan.

Spokesman for the local "Pat's Run," as its called, Gabriel Gomez says the runners participate to show respect for Tilllman's sacrifice.

"We're here to honor Pat's legacy, Pat Tillman. He's the one who left the NFL, a lucrative career, and decided to enlist in the Army because he felt a sense of patriotism after 9/11," Gomez said. "He thought that there was something bigger than himself. That's what it's all about here."

The run is 4.2 miles because Tillman wore number 42 in college.

Money raised in the charity event goes to scholarships for veterans or their families.