KEY TAKEAWAYS: The seventh annual WWII Challenge begins Oct. 1 with 103- and 730-mile virtual courses. This year’s route follows Easy Company from training in Georgia through major campaigns in Europe. The challenge has drawn 8,586 participants and raised more than $223,000 since 2020. Parti cipants have until Feb. 14, 2027, to complete the challenge by running, walking, jogging or biking.   The National WWII Museum and Crescent City Classic have opened registration for their seventh annual virtual fitness challenge, which this year will follow the World War II journey of Easy Company from training in the United States through campaigns across Europe. Participants in the 2026 WWII Challenge can begin logging miles Oct. 1 and will have until Feb. 14, 2027, to complete either a 103- or 730-mile course by running, walking, jogging or biking. The New Orleans organizations launched the virtual event in 2020, combining fitness with historical education and fundraising for the museum. During its first six years, the challenge attracted 8,586 participants from all 50 states and 12 countries, who collectively logged more than 3 million miles and raised more than $223,000 for the museum. This year’s event coincides with the 25th anniversary of HBO’s “Band of Brothers,” which was based on the book by National WWII Museum founder Stephen Ambrose. The virtual course traces portions of the journey of Easy Company, part of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Participants will begin virtually at Camp Toccoa, Georgia, where members of the 506th trained before deploying overseas. The route then follows the unit to England and across Europe, including Normandy during the D-Day invasion, the Netherlands during Operation Market Garden and Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. Other stops include Haguenau, France, and the Bavarian Alps, where Easy Company was stationed near the end of the war in Europe. “Each year, the WWII Challenge gives us an opportunity to make staying active about something bigger than simply logging miles,” WWII Challenge Director Eric Stuart said. “This year’s route allows participants to follow an incredible journey that began with training here in the United States and continued across Europe.” Registration costs $50, with individual and team options available. A portion of entry fees and all donations associated with the challenge will support The National WWII Museum and its educational programs. Participants who complete the course will receive a branded T-shirt, finisher’s medallion and virtual bib, along with a 25% discount on general admission to the New Orleans museum. Adam Coste, WWII historian for digital content at the museum’s Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy, said the challenge provides another way for participants to engage with the history of Easy Company and the broader World War II generation. “By tracing their path from training camp to the front lines, participants can engage with this history in a personal way while honoring the men of Easy Company and the WWII generation at large,” Coste said. The Crescent City Classic has been part of the New Orleans running community since 1979 and is best known for its annual 10K held during Easter weekend. Its nonprofit foundation organizes races and other programs promoting fitness while supporting charitable organizations. The National WWII Museum opened in New Orleans in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum and has since expanded its campus and educational mission to cover the broader American experience during World War II. ...read more read less