Frederiksberg run brings veterans, military and public together to support veteran’s care

FREDERIKSBERG, Denmark — Veterans and members of the public alike ran to support The Danish Veterans and Veterans Support Service on Friday evening at Frederiksberg Palace and through Søndermarken park. 

The run was initially something put on by and for the cadets of the Royal Danish Military Academy which is located at Frederiksberg Palace but was opened to the public in 2012 and made into a charity event. Now, Haerloebet handles the run alongside a board of cadets from the academy. 

Gustav Hammerstroem, chairman of Haerloebet, explains that certain shortfalls occur in veteran care due to budget shortfalls despite the stereotype in other countries of how well taken care of Danes are.   

“A lot of the associations also plan events for veterans to have some sort of community, and that’s what most of the money goes to,” he continued. 
 
Gustav elaborated that as a more recent veteran himself he feels well cared for but that those from before 2015 simply didn’t have the same level of support available. 

About 900 people showed up for the race which is just short of the maximum occupancy allowed. Those who participated were quite excited and spent a lot of time mingling around with other veterans, current service members, and their families. 

The run wasn’t about winners as everyone supported each other, but that’s not to say competition was still not fierce among some participants who had friendly rivalries with each other. In the end, the overall energy was that of tired accomplishment, satisfaction and appreciation for one another filled with an air of celebration. 

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_{This article could be written for a general European audience for a publication such as Euronews or The Guardian due to the human-interest angle of a smaller scale.}