The annual LIFE Runners’ “A-Cross America Relay” event is gearing up to bring its simple, powerful message of “Remember the Unborn” to all four directions of the nation.

This year’s relay, with 1,476 5K legs covering 5,183 miles, or 12 million steps, will take place from Sept. 6 to Oct. 19. Courses will launch from San Francisco on Sept. 6; New York City on Sept. 7; Austin, Texas, on Sept. 11; and Fargo, North Dakota, on Sept. 14. The relay will pause at abortion facilities at each location for prayer. 

The event’s origin stories include tales of harrowing close calls with wild beasts and days spent in the desert keeping watch over some of the world’s most wanted criminals.

For founder Pat Castle, well before his days supervising weapons of mass destruction for the military began, he had plans even as a teen to serve God on a grand scale — a desire put in his heart during his years at O’Gorman High, a Catholic school in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

“At age 16, 17, 18, I was discerning the vocation of the priesthood,” Castle recently told the Register, noting that he’d been influenced by a retreat and the Presentation sisters at his school. “I knew after that retreat I wanted to do something big for God.”

Graduating in 1989, his “wrestling with God” eventually helped him conclude that his desire for the priesthood may not be God’s plan. “Instead, I chose a different road — the Air Force Academy.”

One thing was clear: Castle had a heart for service and defending the innocent. “I also understood the gift of freedom,” he said. His chats with God, he added, led him to reveal that he hoped to continue serving and defending life in another capacity, after retirement, possibly in the pro-life realm. 

Through the military, Castle obtained a chemistry Ph.D., working in a teaching capacity, along with serving as a squadron commander as a lieutenant colonel in wartime. In 2008, while still serving the country, the beginnings of the LIFE Runners ministry formed, though he didn’t retire from the military until 2014, at which time he “went full time into battle with the A-bomb” of abortion, he recalled, noting that after 25 years of service, he realized God was telling him, “It’s time.” 

But without his military background, Castle said, his work in the pro-life arena would not have been as strong. 

Later, stepping into pro-life work full time, a mentor at a pregnancy-help center told Castle that the mindset he’d gotten from the military would be valuable in pro-life work. “She saw that we needed that same war-time view; that there was a very real enemy in Satan that was stealing lives and killing people,” he said, using “the greatest weapon of mass destruction in the history of the world: abortion.”

Speaking to another component of Providence, Castle said that while in Turkey, he lived 44 minutes from the hometown of St. Paul of Tarsus and three hours from Antioch, the site of the first Christian church, as well as near St. Nicholas’ hometown. 

“Going to these places where St. Paul lived and St. Philip was crucified, standing at the grave of St. John, the only apostle who wasn’t martyred — yes, that St. John,” Castle emphasized. “I stood at his grave, and the tomb of St. Barnabas in Cypress … we got a lot of good work done there.”

A Jolting Conversion

The work of God generally doesn’t happen in isolation, however, and another story of Providence enters in with the co-founder of the LIFE Runners’ “Relay” event.

Jeffrey Grabosky, Castle’s co-founder, entered the scene in 2011. He’d been running across the country to call attention to the Catholic faith when, after 2,000 miles, the stroller filled with his supplies broke down, forcing him to pause in the St. Louis area.

As Providence would have it, Castle was stationed in the area at the time and heard about Grabosky on the news. After he reached out, the two agreed to meet for breakfast. “At the time, there were about 70 LIFE Runners,” Grabosky said. “He told me about the organization and asked if I’d like to join the team and wear the jersey during my run.”

It fit Grabosky’s aim well, since he was already picking up prayer intentions along the way, and praying Rosaries for each intention as he ran — including for the unborn. “It was very prophetic,” he said. “The following year, I joined the board.”

Joining his solo mission with Castle’s was providential, Grabosky emphasized. “We launched [the relay] in 2013 and have been doing it ever since,” recently adding a north-south arm to form a cross.

The simple message of “Remember the Unborn” has been a powerful statement, Grabosky said, especially in the current culture. 

“It’s a way for us to just witness,” he said. The peaceful message, he said, “disarms people looking for a fight. It’s a way to enter into a conversation.”

Various clergy have joined the refrain of supporting the relay and its ministry, including Bishop Joseph Coffey, former board member, who is now serving as an auxiliary bishop of the Military Archdiocese. 

“LIFE Runners has really exploded. It’s all over the world now,” Bishop Coffey told the Register, noting how easy it is to get involved. “You don’t have to say anything — just wear the T-shirt.”

Though the ministry began with runners with a pro-life heart bringing attention to the unborn, it now incorporates walkers and prayers at home as well. “Running is optional,” Castle said. “Praying is required.”

Learn More

For more information, or to register to be part of this year’s relay and obtain a shirt, visit: LifeRunners.org/race/across/.

This post was updated after posting.