Superhuman strength for a human cause

Billy Richards runs 11 ultramarathons in 11 states in 11 days to support veterans

Bay Shore veteran Billy Richards raised over $5,000 for Operation VEST. He has completed over 739 fitness events while carrying the American flag.

Photo courtesy of Stefan Hespeler

At Operation VEST’s ninth annual Dog Tag Run 2.2 mile, the Brightwaters-based nonprofit presented $10,000 to Paws-of-War, an organization that provides loyal service dogs to veterans and first responders.

Photo courtesy of Stefan Hespeler

Posted Wednesday, June 25, 2025 12:00 am

Billy Richards’s incredible achievements

• Finished over 739 fitness events with the American flag, totaling over 11,857.4 miles.

• Completed 46 100-mile ultramarathons.

• Did a “Thank the Police Tour” in 2016, running at 39 precincts around the country carrying the American flag, delivering handwritten thank-you cards, to the police to let them know the community still supports them.

•Five-time World’s Toughest Mudder contender.

• In 2019, he became the fourth person in the world to run 100 miles 37 times in a year, but is the only person to do it carrying the American flag.

• Finished over 250 Spartan Races and over 60 Tough Mudders across the globe, through 18 different countries and 48 states.

• Held the Men’s Spartan Trifecta World record for most Trifectas in a year at 32 in 2023, finishing a total of 158 events that year with a bad hip. The record was broken in 2024.

• First to finish the Savage 7 50K (31 miles) series, by doing seven 50Ks in seven consecutive days.

Grace Mercurio

Billy Richards has been running like his life depends on it; not just his own life, but the lives of fellow veterans.

In a feat of superhuman strength and endurance, Richards completed 10 ultramarathons and one marathon in 11 days in 11 states to raise funds for Operation VEST, a Brightwaters-based organization dedicated to ending the veteran suicide epidemic. That is an ultramarathon a day (50K, 31 miles per day) from June 4 to June 14, totaling over 337 miles.

He carried a 50-pound ruck for the first 80 miles until gear issues forced him to drop it. Still, in typical Billy Richards fashion, he carried a 3-foot-by-5-foot American flag the entire way.

Patriotism personified

Richards is a 43-year-old veteran of the Armed Forces, having served in the Marines in the infantry from 1999 to 2003 and in the Army as a paratrooper from 2009 to 2012. He was deployed three times over the course of his military career. He has been a personal trainer for 19 years and currently resides in Bay Shore, though he grew up in Amityville and Islip.

Like most veterans, Richards faced challenges upon returning to civilian life and losing the structure and camaraderie he experienced while deployed.

“It’s a difficult transition, because you’re used to being told what to do all the time, and you’re used to having friends you can rely on. Then when you get out, sometimes veterans feel lost because now you’re on your own,” explained Richards.

Richards found solace in entering fitness competitions to test his limits.

“Fitness has always been my go-to when I find myself in a dark place,” shared Richards. “When I got out of the military I was lost, and when I started competing in endurance events, it gave me an objective to accomplish. By sharing my journey, maybe it’ll help provide other veterans with the same experience and give them something in their lives.”

On Fourth of July in 2015, Richards completed his first race carrying the American flag. Now, he cannot complete a race without it. He has completed over 739 events with the flag, totaling 11,857.4 miles, ranging from obstacle course races to 100-plus-mile ultramarathons. Completing endurance events with the flag is Richards’s way to honor those that have served and those that he has lost. Richards also races with a 50-pound ruck on his back to symbolize the emotional weight that veterans carry when they come back to civilian life.

Richards has taken on extreme fitness challenges as a means to help struggling veterans. He has raised money by running nine ultramarathons in nine consecutive days in 2017, seven 50Ks in seven days in 2018, and four marathons in four days while carrying 45 pounds of canned goods during Thanksgiving of 2017. Despite having hip resurfacing surgery in July 2024, Richards is training to not only return to his old level of fitness, but to continue to push his boundaries above and beyond.

A worthy cause

Co-founders of Operation VEST (Veterans Ending Suicide Together), Stefan Hespeler and his wife Jenny Mortenson Hespeler, first met Richards during a Suffolk County Veterans Run Series event, pre-2020.

When Stefan Hespeler learned the harrowing statistic that an average of 22 veterans and one active-duty military member are lost to suicide per day, he knew he had to do something about it. Stefan and Jenny co-founded Operation VEST (Veterans Ending Suicide Together), Brightwaters-based 501(c)3 organization, in March 2020.

Operation VEST promotes awareness about the challenges veterans face and keeps funds raised local to impact Long Island veterans, working alongside other local organizations such as Paws-of-War, General Needs, Black 6 Project, Warrior Ranch Foundation.

Richards can be found racing in Operation VEST’s annual races in Brightwaters, such as the Dog Tag Run 2.2 mile and 22 Degree Run and Plunge. By running over 337 miles in 11 states in 11 days for Operation VEST this month, Richards took fundraising for the organization to new heights. He raised over $5,000 for the organization, and the campaign is still open. To donate, visit https://www.operationvest.org/campaign/billyrichards/.

“We have a true appreciation for Billy and what he has done for this county and what he continues to do for our veterans,” shared Stefan and Jenny. “The physical test he puts himself through is truly admirable, especially one year after hip replacement surgery!”

Looking forward

Richards’s current career goal is to continue as a trainer, and possibly open a gym one day. His ultimate race goal is to hit 1,000 races carrying the American flag and also be one of the few people that have finished 100 100-mile races. He currently has completed 46.

Richards’s accomplishments should not solely be remembered as a feat of superhuman strength, but a reminder of the importance of the very human struggles that veterans endure upon returning home.

“We want our veterans and active military to know they are not alone in their struggles. Reaching out for help is a sign of strength,” shared Stefan and Jenny. “According to the CDC, for every completed suicide, there are over 31 attempts. This equates to over 682 attempts a day and 249,000 per year. Checking in with someone you care about through a call or text could make all the difference.”