On April 9, 1942 tens of thousands of American and Filipino soldiers were surrendered to Japanese forces and were forced to march more than 60 miles in the scorching heat though the Philippine jungles. Thousands died and those who survived faced the hardships of prisoner of war camps.

REGISTER

In-person Event

The Bataan Memorial Death March will take place in-person at White Sands Missile Range, NM on Saturday, March 22, 2025. This event is a challenging and grueling march that tests both mental and physical abilities.  Marchers can choose between the full 26.2 mile marathon distance or a 14.2 mile honorary distance. Individuals and Teams may choose between completing the event in the “heavy or light” categories. If you register for “heavy” you must carry a minimum of 35lbs on your back. Please see complete rules via the official Bataan Memorial Death March website More Than Just A Marathon (bataanmarch.com).

There are no “team” categories or placement medals for the Honorary march. 1st and 2nd place medals are for those registered to complete the full march (26.2 miles). Finisher medals for the event will be provided to every category as long as the participant crosses the finish line.

Virtual March

If you choose register for the virtual march please click on the virtual race instructions & FAQs button below to learn more about how the virtual Bataan Memorial Death March works.

Marchers registered for the virtual event will be able to march between March 22nd and March 29th, 2025. Registration for the virtual event will close on Saturday, March 29th, 2025 at 12:00 PM MST. All registrants for the VIRTUAL event must march and complete their virtual march by 11:59 PM (MST) on March 29th, 2025.  After that, time submissions will no longer be posted to the results.

Once you are registered for the virtual march, download the Virtual Race app on this page, then come back to this page and click on the Virtual Race Instructions & FAQs to learn how to use the app and more.

For those registering for the virtual event please  allow time for your packets to be delivered. Participants registered for the virtual event who register by February 21, 2025 should receive their packets by March 22nd, 2025 (while supplies last), anyone registered after that date are not guaranteed to receive their packets before the virtual event begins. Packets for Virtual partcipants will include a Bataan marcher t-shirt, a bib, and participation medal (while suppllies last) and will also be able to download a customizable participation certificate. 

The Bataan Memorial Death March: 1989 to Present

The Army ROTC Department at New Mexico State University began sponsoring the Bataan Memorial Death March in 1989. The memorial march was to mark a page in history that included many native sons and affected many families in the state. In 1992, White Sands Missile Range and the New Mexico National Guard joined in the sponsorship and the event was moved to the White Sands Missile Range.

Since its inception, the Bataan Memorial Death March’s participation has grown from about 100 to about 9,600 marchers. These marchers come from across the United States and several foreign countries. While still primarily a military event, many civilians choose to participate in the challenging march. Participants get to choose between two courses: a 14.2-mile and a 26.2-mile course.

Marchers participate in the Bataan Memorial Death March for many reasons: personal challenge, the spirit of competition, or to foster esprit de corps in their unit. Some march in honor of a family member or a particular veteran who was in the Bataan Death March or who was taken as a prisoner of war by the Japanese in the Philippines.