September 16, 2025 -The Fitness Center at Richland Community College will be hosting he fifth annual Operation Obstacle: The Race to End Veteran Suicide will be held on Saturday, September 20. Racers can register now for the timed, two-mile obstacle course race held in coordination with the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs Suicide Prevention Team and Richland Community College.
Registration for this event, which will be held at the Workforce Development Institute at Richland, is open to the public. Racers can either register online or on the day of the race from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Before the race, there will be a veteran’s honorary ceremony at 10 a.m. – including the presentation of the flag and 13 folds, the national anthem, and opening remarks from the VA Illiana Suicide Prevention Team. The race will begin around 10:15 a.m.
After completing 15-20 fun physical obstacles, each finisher will receive an honorary challenge medal, goodie bags, snacks and water. Special awards will be given to the top three male and female finishers. Event t-shirts are available in the registration process.
Anyone interested in simply going through obstacles without the pressure to compete can register for the non-competitive fun run. Additionally, racers can earn 5% on every registration fee for referred registrants by promoting the event on social media with their own link provided on the registration website.
Proceeds from both events support Richland’s Veterans Resource Center (VRC). It was opened in 2019 to provide free resources and services to veterans – helping them overcome financial obstacles to education. The VRC is also a comfortable space for veteran students to study, receive tutoring, relax, communicate, and collaborate.
