DOTHAN, Ala. (WDNews) — The Dothan Fire Department is bringing back the Heroes Challenge in 2026 after a successful debut last year, expanding the event into a city-wide, year-long fitness challenge.
The department is once again partnering with the Dothan Police Department to host three races at three different locations throughout the year, all designed to promote health, teamwork, and community involvement.
The 2026 Heroes Challenge includes three races: Fit2Fight, Going for the Gold 5K, and Trot with SWAT. Participants who complete all three races during the year will earn individual race awards along with a special Heroes Challenge medal.
Organizers say the Fit2Fight race will kick off the challenge on Saturday, May 2, 2026, with a return to Downtown Dothan. The course will start in front of the newly constructed Porter Park and the remodeled Dothan Opera House, running through the heart of the city.
The Fit2Fight event will offer a 5K walk or run, a 10K run, and a 5K RUCK event. The RUCK portion is open to firefighters only for this race. Organizers say the downtown setting will give runners and walkers a chance to experience historic streets, local businesses, and strong community support along the route.
Registration for Fit2Fight will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:45 a.m., with the race scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Timing services will be provided by River Region Timing, and all races will be chip-timed.
Participants must register for each race individually through raceentry.com. Any distance completed at each event will count toward the overall Heroes Challenge.
An official course map for the downtown race is expected to be released at a later date.
