Running for Honor
On May 31, 2025, two runners, three bikers, and a mobile pit crew set out before sunrise to complete a 27-mile journey across Virginia Beach. Beginning at 3:19 a.m., the team traveled from Redmill to Chic’s Beach, covering the full distance in five hours and thirty-four minutes.
To most people, a 27-mile run—especially one beginning in the darkness of early morning—sounds anything but appealing. But for Katrina and her team, the challenge was never about comfort.
It was about honor.
A Brother’s Legacy
The run paid tribute to Katrina’s brother, SO1 Christopher Brittingham, a Navy SEAL who died in 2020 while stationed in Stuttgart, Germany, at just 27 years old.
Chris and Katrina grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina, spending their childhood tackling life side by side. Chris became Katrina’s greatest supporter, her protector, and her lifelong hero. When he chose to enlist and pursue a career as a Navy SEAL, she felt both heartbreak and immense pride.
Despite deployments, distance, and missed holidays, Chris never failed to encourage her, never forgot a birthday, and never stopped believing in her potential.
Then, in 2020, the Brittingham family experienced a loss that changed everything.
Finding Strength Through Running
After Chris’s passing, Katrina turned to running as a way to process grief. What began as a single mile slowly grew into longer distances—two miles, four miles, then half marathons. With each passing year, the challenges became bigger, pushing her farther physically and emotionally.
As she approached age 27, the same age Chris was when he died, Katrina made a decision: she would honor his life by completing her first ultramarathon-distance run while raising funds to support the mission he believed in.
Training for Something Bigger
With the help of coaches from Chic’s Beach CrossFit and instructors from CycleBar Hilltop, Katrina committed to months of rigorous training. Every mile, every early morning workout, and every fundraising conversation carried a deeper meaning.
Her original goal was to raise $2,700, symbolizing the 27-mile tribute.
But the impact of her story reached far beyond expectations.
A Community Response
By the end of the run, the Britt Foundation had received nearly $10,000 in donations, turning a personal tribute into a powerful community movement supporting leadership development through outdoor adventure.
What began as a single run became a lasting reminder that grief, when paired with purpose, can inspire extraordinary action.
Carrying the Legacy Forward
Katrina’s 27 x 27 x 2.7K run stands as a testament to the enduring power of love, resilience, and remembrance. Through every mile, she honored her brother’s memory—not only by remembering who he was, but by continuing the impact he left behind.