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Midway Route Coordinator Newsletter – September 2026

RFTW Feature Midway Route

260 Days to KSU!

Now that the ‘DOG Days of Summer” are subsiding and as we celebrate Labor Day, back to school and football season we need to start thinking of what we need to do between now and next May to be prepared for the Midway Mission.

Hello FNG’s and Returning riders

Welcome to the Midway family! Let’s do a quick review of what our RFTW Organization is all about.

You do not need to be a veteran to ride, everyone is welcome! The ages of the participants range from eight to eighty. These include mothers, fathers, grandfathers, and grandmothers! Among the ridership you will find veterans, active-duty military, patriots, supporters, friends, and family.

“Is It May Yet”?

The Run occurs every May with the three coast to coast routes beginning around the middle of the month and culminating on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend. The fourth route “Sandbox”, begins on Sunday of the Memorial Day weekend. You will often hear members of the RFTW family lament, “Is it May yet?” because we are excited about this great ride and experience that we are preparing for you and wish it were May already.

Coast to Coast 2027
Ontario, California to Washington, D.C.

Midway Route:   Central Route:   Southern Route: All leave on Wednesday, May 19 – May 29 (10 days)

Wall to Wall
Washington, D.C. to Marseilles, Illinois

Sandbox Route:  May 30 – June 1 (3 days)

We Ride For Those Who Can’t

Run For The Wall began in 1989 as an effort by a couple of Vietnam Veterans who traveled across the heartland of America on motorcycles, talking to local radio, television, and newspapers about the fact that we had thousands of men and women still unaccounted for from all our wars.

The need for this awareness continues, so RFTW riders maintain this tradition every May by riding their motorcycles from “coast to coast”, and since 2022 from “wall to wall” honoring the men and women who served and paid the ultimate sacrifice from the gulf war conflicts.

RFTW does not give political speeches or stage demonstrations. Run For The Wall emphasizes its message by traveling through the United States in a safe and orderly manner, obeying traffic laws and treating all citizens with respect. Our motto is, “We Ride For Those Who Can’t”.

Raising public awareness is only part of the Mission of Run For The Wall. RFTW also gives veterans (from Vietnam and all wars and conflicts) the opportunity to receive the Welcome Home they so richly deserve, and an encouraging environment where they can further their healing process.

Many who have served our country, especially in combat, return with issues that may be unresolved. This can also extend to friends and families who have experienced the range of emotion and trauma associated with having a loved one go off to serve. RFTW riders find healing and camaraderie in the Run For The Wall family. They can finally start settling issues that have been put away for years.

Together We Ride

Run For The Wall is a motorcycle ride like none other. It is definitely not a party, but rather a mission of honor and an odyssey of patriotism and respect through the heart of the United States of America. On the Run we ride side by side (and in some cases staggered) in parade formation all the way. Each Route is led by a Route Coordinator and an Assistant Route Coordinator. At the head of the pack is the Missing Man formation.

The Missing Man Formation
The Missing Man Formation is a rolling salute to honor the memory of the fallen, KIA, MIA, or POW. Five bikes ride in formation with a space where one bike should be, symbolizing the person’s absence. On each leg of each route we honor a different individual in the Missing Man Formation. There is a short ceremony just prior to the departure of the pack and we SAY THEIR NAMES so that their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.  Once again Midway’s MMF will be led by James “Juice” Brown so be sure to contact him at James.brown.cbrr@hotmail.com with potential MM riders contact information so that he can get their spot reserved.

You will also notice that the riders participating in the Missing Man Formation do not wave at onlookers while riding in formation. Their ride is solemn and sincere – a rolling salute. This is the highest form of honor and respect and serves as a stark reminder of those who sacrificed their future for that of our nation. May their memories always be a blessing and may we never forget that freedom is not free.

The main pack of motorcycles is divided into platoons. Each platoon is headed by a Platoon Leader and an Assistant Platoon Leader as well as one or two Tail Gunners to help pace the group.

While most of the vehicles are conventional two-wheeled motorcycles (of all makes and models), there is also a healthy contingent of trikes and three-wheel vehicles such as Can-Am Spyders – and even a few motorcycles and trikes who tow trailers. That said, we do allow 4-wheel vehicles to register and drive the route of their choice, with the proviso that 4-wheelers drive 15 minutes (give or take) ahead of the pack and not interfere with the parking or staging of the pack at any of the stops. (Alternatively, 4-wheel vehicles may drive behind the pack, behind the last man vehicle and any chase trucks/trailers, but we prefer that you drive out ahead….) Four-wheel vehicle participants will still be able to take part in all the RFTW activities, but you must remain safely out of the way of the motorcycle pack. Please consider that some fuel stops and/or lunch stops are quite compressed and room to maneuver any 4-wheel vehicle around the 300-400 motorcycles staged in tight quarters could be challenging. (Polaris Slingshot – Our Official Policy on Polaris Slingshot’s is that these vehicles are the size of and essentially a “small car” and will follow the aforementioned protocol of other 4-wheel vehicles.)

Registration

Registration for the 2027 Run For The Wall will open on September 11th, 2026 @ 8:46 a.m. (EST), 7:46 a.m. (Central), 6:46 a.m. (MST), 5:46 a.m. (PST)

Please put this on your calendar, make a cup of coffee and be ready when registration opens. We really need your support on this to gather data necessary for additional planning. Thank you, in advance for your support.

Pre-Paid Fuel                                                          

As in 2026, we will have the mandatory pre-paid fuel program for 2027. This proved quite successful and was well received by both the riders and our Road Guards and Fuel Team.  My leadership team and I are researching costs to come up with a fair cost that you can pay when you register or on siter in Ontario. If you’re a day rider and only have a few days to join us then your fuel cost will be prorated.  We hope to maintain the same cost as in 2026. This program is extremely important so that our road guards and fuel team traffic control personnel can get you quickly off the road, into the pumps and to the staging location as safely and efficiently as possible where you can get off your vehicle, get hydrated and use the facilities. If you are fumbling in your wallet for money to pay your fuel cost, it lengthens the time for each vehicle at the pump.

Opportunities

Are you interested in further supporting Midway Route this year? Do you like being a part of the planning process? So, if you are not an FNG and have gone all the way at least once then I have some awesome and rewarding opportunities for you.  Volunteer signup forms are on the RFTW web site or can be reached at this link.  Midway Route Volunteer Signup Form

Current team openings on Midway are:

Chaplain, Promotions, Ambassadors, Medical, Road Guards, Advance Team, Fuel Team, Staging, Asst. Arkansas State Coordinator, Asst. Oklahoma State Coordinator and Asst. North Carolina State Coordinator.

We would love to have you join us as a member of our leadership team!!  So fill out the Volunteer Signup From and we’ll get it to the team lead and they will be in contact.

Here we GROW!

Let’s all see if we can help grow our Midway riders for ’27.  Please reach out to your friends, family, riding buddies or anyone else who you think would like to be a part of the largest organized coast to coast ride in the world.   By convincing a fellow veteran to ride with you to acquire the healing this adventure provides to many veterans who are struggling with their service.

Feel free to promote the Run generally and Midway specifically.  Below are a few marketing collateral items you can use to help you “spread the word”.

Fund Raising

We can all help the Run by doing a little fund raising.  Feel free to solicit local motorcycle shops, VFW’s, American Legion Posts, local business, etc…  Anyone can help secure funds for Midway by interacting with any or all of those entities.  There are a few guidelines to follow so if you would like more information on the process please give me a jingle.   Randy.sheets@rftw.us.

RFTW Mission Statement

“To promote healing among ALL veterans and their families and friends, to call for an accounting of all Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action (POW/MIA), to honor the memory of those Killed in Action (KIA) from all wars, and to support our military personnel all over the world.”

Please join our mission, get personally involved, pass the word and always remember the ones who went before us and some who made the ultimate sacrifice.

“Say their names”  “Never Forget”  “Tell their stories”

IS IT MAY YET!

Stinger

Randy “Stinger” Sheets
Midway Route Coordinator 2027