TOMS RIVER, NJ — A group of Toms River firefighters showed their solidarity with the hundreds of firefighters who lost their lives in on Sept. 11, 2001, by donning fire gear to run in the Tunnel to Towers 5K in New York on Sunday.

The 5K race is in memory of firefighter Stephen Siller, and retraces his last steps as he ran from the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the World Trade Center, in full gear and despite having just finished his shift when the terror attacks occurred in 2001. Siller was among the 343 firefighters who died rescuing others from the Twin Towers. The race is a fundraiser for the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which assists families of fallen first responders and members of the military.

The Toms River firefighters who participated were Toms River Fire Company 1 members Markus Ennis, Ken Beck Jr., Ian Monzo, and Carl Weingroff, who also is an EMT, and East Dover Fire Company members Paul Capetto, Steve Terra, Chris Kazoun, and Stephen Sabo. Ennis, who is a Marine, was carrying the 9/11 Ground Zero flag that was taken on a tour of the six fire companies and Island Heights on Saturday. That was on display during the run.

A group of Rutgers University baseball players from Toms River pose with Toms RIver Fire Company 1 members following the race. Photo provided by Carl Weingroff Click here to get Patch email notifications on this or other local news articles or get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here. Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow us on Facebook. Click here to like our page.