Remembering 9/11 with group run from LA to NYC

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They are used to running into burning houses.

Now a group of firefighters from Down Under will run from the coast of Los Angeles to the island of Manhattan in support of the nearly 3,000 victims - including "411 first responders" who died on Sept. 11. The LA-to-NYC run is called the Tour of Duty and consists of a 31-day continuous relay run starting  Aug. 12, 2010 and finishes on the ninth anniversary of the 2001 attacks.

The core group of running firefighters are from Australia. They've trained for more than 18 months while continue to battle blazes and save lives. They hope their firefighting comrades will join in the run as the relay passes several states, including Las Vegas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Orleans, Memphis, Washington and Pennsylvania.

Check out the entire route that spans more than 4,600 miles.

The blaze battling Aussies, who are spearheading the coast-to-coast run, traveled to New York City on Monday and gathered a few feet from the Brooklyn Bridge, blocks away from the Tour of Duty finish line. New York City firefighter Bryan Bean met with his Australian counterparts  to chat about the upcoming event and to show solidarity.  He said of the month-long run: "It's a great challenge and this is why we are here."

By Michael Frazier, Sr. Communications Manager for the 9/11 Memorial

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