140-Acre Tactical Run & Cup • 20-Artist Lakeside Concert • October 3, 2026
Solemnly reading names of the 19 fallen.
Meet Ranger vet Andy Lucas & Carla onsite.
Kentucky's original & continuous host.
20 veterans & grand 20-guitar finale.
Free Queenslake lake membership for squads.
Annual opening tribute to the fallen 19.
Travis Manion & UA BeaverFit gauntlet.
Replica rifle must cross finish line.
140-acre course & Friesian caisson.
Kids obstacle course + FREE Sky Zone pass.
On-site memorial tattoos by Jennifer Kain.
Green River custom 19-bottle tribute.
Unwavering support & 6-year alliance.
Stadium sound, staging & cinema lighting.
Stay informed on our 2026 guest of honor, designated charities, lakefront festival production, course obstacles, and community partners.
Former Marine & Scott County Deputy Sheriff Jaime Morales will lead the solemn roll call of the 19 fallen warriors of Task Force Ranger during our Friesian caisson opening ceremony.
Meet Ranger veteran Andy Lucas and Carla at the official Three Rangers command booth providing life-long transition support and emergency assistance to Rangers and Gold Star families.
Combat veteran musicians taking the stage playing the music that healed their wounds, capped with a 20-veteran guitar finale echoing across Queenslake. $20 concert wristbands benefit G4V (Free for all registered race teams!).
Leveling up our production with 30+ years of live-event power: acoustic line-arrays, 40'×30' stage, cinema lighting, and pro engineering from morning bagpipes to the evening concert.
Queenslake is Kentucky’s first, longest-running, and continuous host for the Mogadishu Mile, preserving the memory of Task Force Ranger through unbroken tradition.
The next 10 squads to register for the Mogadishu Cup receive free annual fishing memberships to Queenslake’s private trophy-stocked waters.
Hear Tore DeRolf’s stirring lakeside bagpipes as the black Friesian horse-drawn caisson escorts the names of the 19 fallen soldiers across the grounds.
The mobile BeaverFit tactical container brought by Travis Manion Foundation will test squads with weighted pull-ups, squats, and sandbag lifts right from the start.
Every 4-person team will ruck/run the 5K with rubber duck replica rifles, ammo cans, and the Stars & Stripes—no equipment left behind.
Explore the 140-acre course lined with 19 permanent engraved limestone monuments dedicated to each warrior of Task Force Ranger.
A dedicated mini obstacle run for kids on the farm lawns plus a complimentary jump pass to Sky Zone Lexington for every child who participates.
Jennifer Kain and the Ink Addiction crew are setting up on-site mobile tattooing with custom military flash and tribute ink.
Custom single-barrel Kentucky bourbon tribute honoring each of the 19 fallen soldiers of Task Force Ranger with collector engraved bottles.
Recognizing 418 Communications for 6 years of steadfast alliance, amplifying the stories of our fallen heroes and combat veterans across the country.
Kentucky’s First, Longest-Running, and Continuous Host
"There is a saying in the military community that a soldier dies twice: once on the battlefield, and a second time when people stop speaking their name. To ward off that second death, our ultimate hope is that one day there will be dozens of Mogadishu Mile events across Kentucky—and we genuinely support every effort that honors our nation's fallen heroes."
Patriarch Bill Chmela (Age 92, USAF Veteran 1956–1960) and Founder John Chmela at Queenslake Horse Farm — Kentucky's Founding & Continuous Host.
When honoring warriors who gave everything in service to our nation, the setting matters. Sacrifices of this magnitude demand grounds that are reverent, majestic, and truly worthy of their memory. Queenslake was chosen not merely as a venue, but as a permanent sanctuary—an extraordinary 140-acre working horse farm framed by a pristine 40-acre lake, dozens of magnificent horses, rolling Bluegrass pastures, and sacred woodland trails. There is simply no other location in the Commonwealth that offers the vast scale, grandeur, and safety required to host hundreds of athletes, Gold Star families, and patriotic citizens without compromise.
In 2021, Queenslake set out with a clear, solemn purpose: to honor the fallen nineteen of Task Force Ranger and ensure their sacrifices are never forgotten. Grounded in the lifelong dedication of the Chmela family—inspired by patriarch Bill Chmela, a 92-year-old United States Air Force veteran—Queenslake permanently dedicated these grounds to our nation's military heroes. We are proud to serve as Kentucky’s original, longest-running, and premier annual Mogadishu Mile Kentucky tribute as we prepare for our 6th consecutive gathering at Queenslake Horse Farm on Saturday, October 3, 2026.
We acknowledge and welcome the growing interest in new Mogadishu Mile events across the Commonwealth. It is gratifying to see our operational blueprint and Queenslake event photography serving as a foundation for other organizers in Kentucky. We fully support every race taking up the mantle, and we consider each new tribute a major success for the cause.
Our core commitment remains unchanged: to keep the names of our nineteen fallen heroes alive. To anyone stepping up to organize a new event, we stand ready to help promote your efforts and share the operational standards Queenslake has developed over the past six years.
Let's work together to make Kentucky the premier state for honoring our veterans—spanning from the mountains of Eastern Kentucky to the banks of the Ohio River in Louisville. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and when it comes to honoring our fallen, expanding these tributes is a powerful way to ensure they are never forgotten.
Founded at Queenslake by the Chmela family in 2021 as Kentucky's first and sole continuous annual tribute, holding an unbroken 6-year operational legacy.
A professionally managed, safe 140-acre working horse farm featuring a 40-acre lake, 60+ horses, and dedicated on-site EMS throughout the course.
Kentucky's authorized Battalion Sponsor of the Three Rangers Foundation (holders of the official Mogadishu Mile emblem) alongside our dedicated support for the Night Stalkers Foundation.
Exclusive home of the permanent 19-station steel & limestone memorial trail, the Friesian horse caisson procession, and the annual Guitars For Vets Music Festival.
On October 3–4, 1993, nineteen American service members of Task Force Ranger made the ultimate sacrifice in Mogadishu, Somalia. We gather at Queenslake Horse Farm to keep their memories alive, honoring their actions through three primary tribute segments.
The ceremony opens with solemn bagpipe melodies played by Tore DeRolf echoing across the central lake, setting a respectful and reflective tone for the morning.
A silent equine funeral procession featuring black Friesian horses pulling a caisson and a flag-draped casket moves solemnly across the pastures.
We stand in silence for a collective prayer, followed by the Roll Call of the 19 Fallen Soldiers of Task Force Ranger, speaking each name aloud to honor their memory.
This is not an ordinary weekend 5K. The Mogadishu Mile Kentucky is an uncompromising military tactical crucible forged across 140 acres of private rolling Bluegrass pastures, dense timber trails, and waterfront obstacles at Queenslake. Built to test raw power, stamina, and unbreakable squad brotherhood—you start together, you conquer together, and no gear is left behind.
Squads carry twin heavy military steel ammo cans, replica combat service rifles (M16/M4), and the sacred full-size American Flag on staff—never touching Kentucky soil.
Station #1 BeaverFit "PAIN" Rig (Travis Manion Foundation), 400+ lb agricultural tire flips, plyo box step-ups (tested by pilot Mike Durant), cadence pushups, and medicine ball passes.
Athletes choosing the Ruck Division carry a mandatory 35-pound ruck pack or weighted vest across all 140 acres of forest hills and pasture climbs to simulate combat egress.
Positioned along Kentucky's historic limestone wall, 19 permanent steel memorial markers honor the fallen. Every competitor halts, reads the citation, and speaks the name aloud.
Compete for the prestigious Mogadishu Cup across 9 divisions with custom bourbon trophy plaques. Registration is 100% free.
9 Divisions. 9 Custom Trophy Cups. 100% Free 4-Person Squad Entry. Assemble your crew to represent your station, detachment, gym, school, or distillery and win 365-day custody of the rotating cup!
Municipal Police, County Sheriffs, State Troopers & Federal Law Enforcement squads.
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Assemble 4 officers. 100% free registration, free concert passes, and 365-day custody of the cup.
Career & Volunteer Municipal Fire Departments, industrial fire units, and suppression squads.
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4-firefighter squad. Take custody of the Firefighter Cup and bring the glory to your station house.
Emergency Medical Technicians, Paramedics, Flight Medical Teams, and emergency response coordinators.
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4-medic team. Frontline stamina meets obstacle grit on Queenslake's cross-country trails.
University ROTC Detachments (Army, Navy, Air Force), OCS candidates, and High School JROTC academies.
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4-cadet team. Prove detachment tactical readiness on live cross-country terrain.
High school athletic clubs, cross-country/track teams, football squads, and student athletes.
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4-student squad. Free race entry, free live concert access, and the cup in your school display case.
State Army National Guard, Air National Guard squadrons, Active Duty, and Reserve military units.
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4-soldier squad. Carry team ammo cans and squad colors to honor Task Force Ranger.
CrossFit affiliates, commercial gym squads, strength & conditioning boxes, and athletic clubs.
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4 fittest athletes. Put your gym's name permanently engraved on the official rotating Fitness Cup.
Chartered VFW Posts, American Legion, AMVETS, and military veteran transition organizations.
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4-veteran team. Display the rotating cup in your Post canteen and defend it in 2027.
Kentucky distilleries, craft spirits brands, cooperages, and hospitality industry teams.
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4-person distillery crew. Settle Kentucky's biggest whiskey rivalry on Queenslake's course!
Download challenge posters for your squad room, inspect division regulations, and lock in your 4-person team.
Crossing the finish line at Queenslake is just the beginning. Competitors, families, and spectators gather along the scenic 40-acre lakeside grounds for an unforgettable day of fellowship, healing, and celebration.
Continuous morning and afternoon sets on the lakeside stage featuring Guitars for Vets graduates and a headline patriotic concert.
Green River presents a nineteen-bottle collector tribute series, honoring each of the fallen 19 soldiers.
Licensed artists from Ink Addiction provide free commemorative military and tribute tattoos to competitors.
Complimentary coffee, hot breakfast, meals, and hydration provided through presenting retail partners.
20 Veterans. 20 Stories of Healing. One Historic Waterfront Finale.
This October 3rd, 20 combat-veteran graduates step out of the therapy room and onto Queenslake's 40'x30' waterfront amphitheater to perform songs that saved their lives—culminating in a Mystery Multi-Platinum National Headline Salute and an awe-inspiring 20-guitar ensemble finale.
[CLASSIFIED // MYSTERY HEADLINER]
Throughout the morning, 20 combat-veteran artists share unvarnished acoustic songs of survival and resilience. At 02:00 PM, a mystery multi-platinum National Headliner commands the stage alongside emcee Forbes Riley for a high-voltage classic rock tribute, inviting all 20 veteran guitarists back onstage for a unified, "We Are the World" style patriotic anthem across Queenslake.
Spectators & concert-goers can purchase $20 stage-access wristbands with proceeds supporting wounded veterans. All 4-person Mogadishu Mile race squads receive 4 FREE wristbands ($80 value) included with race entry!
Our event is dedicated to raising awareness and funding for veteran support programs. All voluntary donations go directly to:
Provides direct financial, physical, and emotional support to active-duty and veteran U.S. Army Rangers and their families, with dedicated programs for Gold Star families.
Provides immediate financial assistance, education, and support to families of fallen, wounded, and active duty soldiers of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Night Stalkers).
Provides relief to veterans struggling with PTSD and physical/emotional trauma through the healing power of music, free acoustic guitars, and veteran-led music instruction.
We are proud to host national advocates, actors, veterans, and broadcasters who support our mission and help lead the event.
"The Queen of Pitch" • National Fitness Hall of Fame • Celebrity TV Host & Author
Master of Ceremonies conducting the Guitars For Vets National Concert, veteran recovery stories, and 20-guitar unified lakeside finale.
USMC Veteran, Paralympic Shooter, MC
TV Star (Pacific Blue, The O.C.) & Ambassador
Broadcaster, Founder of Kasem Cares
Traveling in for the Mogadishu Mile & Music Festival? Stay right by the action in beautiful Georgetown farm houses and countryside rentals located just 1 to 10 minutes from Queenslake (292 Soards Road).
1 to 10 minutes to the Queenslake starting line
100% of voluntary event proceeds and community donations directly empower our designated 501(c)(3) veteran non-profit organizations and their families.
Empowering active-duty Rangers, veterans, and Gold Star families through life-long transition assistance, career mentorship, and emergency support.
Read Live Brief
Supporting the elite airborne warriors, combat wounded, and families of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment ("Night Stalkers Don't Quit").
Official Foundation
Healing the invisible wounds of war through music therapy, free guitars, and festival stages for over 20,000 battle-tested veterans across America.
Music Festival DetailsFrom direct financial underwriting to heavy machinery, obstacle lumber, meals, and volunteer trail maintenance—every partner across all 6 years plays a critical role in keeping their memory alive.