After six days and 128.3 miles on the road, 44 brothers from Troy University’s Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity reached the shoreline at Panama City Beach and ran into the water together. Tired, proud and united by a cause bigger than themselves, this year’s “March to the Sea” raised a record-breaking $200,000 for Jeep Sullivan’s Wounded Warrior Outdoor Adventures.

Surpassing the $150,000 goal set for this year and breaking last year’s record of $140,000, Walk Hard 2026 Director Griffin Brock, a junior business major from Panama City, Florida, said the brothers walk each year to be part of something bigger than themselves.

“Every single person talks about that, of wanting to be a part of something bigger than themselves,” he said. “This is the perfect opportunity—giving up your Spring Break to walk 128.3 miles. We love doing this, and it goes to a great cause.”

On the Friday before Spring Break, the group begins their journey to Pier Park from TROY’s Academic Quad. Along the route they pass through Troy, Enterprise, Hartford, Bonifay, Vernon, Ebro and eventually PCB. 

At their nightly rest stops, they hear inspirational messages and words of encouragement from veterans like Retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major Brandon Sadler who spent 21 years in the Army Special Forces, deploying 11 times across six countries for combat, two countries for noncombat and evacuation operations and several others for training.

“What they’re doing allows my brothers and I to do things that help get us out of some dark places,” he said. “It’s what they do that raises the support for what Jeep does that comes back to us. The knees don’t move like they used to, and I’ve been blown up more than I like to think about, but that wear and tear is easy to talk about because they’re all feeling it right now. Not a single person sitting here has quit, and that says so much about every one of those guys that no one else may ever know.”

For many of the students, those nights put everything into perspective.

Some were walking for the first time, unsure of what to expect. Others returned, knowing exactly how difficult, and how meaningful, the journey would be. No matter their experience, each walker faced the same early mornings, sore legs and long days, leaning on one another to keep going.

Jadon Demange, a sophomore accounting major from Huntsville, Alabama, walked for the first time and said the hardest parts of the week led to some of the best bonding moments.

“I caught up to three of my brothers during the storm on Day Four and we were just running. I thought we were running to get in a truck, but they were running just to run and screaming Army cadences,” he said. “It made me feel so good that I forgot about the storm and was just grateful to spend time with my brothers. This a philanthropy but it’s also a brotherhood event. We’re together every single day, six days in a row, staying in the same small places and having conversations and getting to know each other better.”

While the sand on his feet felt good, knowing they’d been able to make an impact for veterans who’ve sacrificed so much felt even better.

“To see that we smashed our goal by $60 grand is amazing,” he said. “Veterans give their whole lives for us. They risk their lives every day. These blisters are bad, but they’ll be healed by next week.”

For four-year walker Landon Evans, a senior geomatics major from Cullman, Alabama, he is continually inspired by the veterans they hear from each night. 

“Hearing the guys Jeep brings in each night tell us their story and how something as small as walking down the road has benefited them so much has made me want to do it more and more, and continue to be involved after I graduate,” he said. “This year has been so surreal. We thought last year’s goal was untouchable, so this is something we never thought would happen. I’m extremely proud of Griffin and the hard work he’s put in as director this year, and of all of my brothers.”

To current and future ATO brothers considering joining Walk Hard, Evans says to “just do it.”

“This is something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life,” he said. “If you walk your freshman year and you’re miserable, join the support team and find other ways to stay involved. Show up when we walk in, just always find ways to be a part of it because it is life changing.”

Since it began in 2009, Walk Hard has grown from a small group of college students wanting to make their own impact into a lasting tradition. With this year’s total, their effort has now raised over $1,040,000 for veterans and Jeep Sullivan’s Wounded Warrior Outdoor Adventures.

“Walk Hard 2026 is over today… Walk hard 2027 starts tomorrow,” Jeep said.

To view galleries of the walk, click here.