Participants gather for a group photo before beginning the Ruck the Buttes walk in Sutter on April 18.

SUTTER, CA (MPG) - Ruck the Buttes returned to Sutter County on April 18, drawing two dozen people to the base of the Sutter Buttes for a 15‑mile military‑inspired walk that blended fitness, gratitude and a shared sense of purpose. 

Event organizer Lauren Manor, owner of Garage Fitness in Colusa, hosted her second annual Ruck the Buttes, her fourth ruck overall, and part of a growing trend of long‑distance walks held to honor service members and support veterans’ causes. 

“I want to continue to raise awareness for our military,” Manor said. 

Participants carried weighted vests as a nod to the packs used by service members in training and on missions. Manor said she hoped the event encouraged people to use their bodies, breathe fresh air and come together with a shared purpose. 

Participants salute the American flag before the start of Ruck the Buttes in Sutter on April 18. 

Manor launched her first ruck in Colusa with a 22‑mile route, but said the Sutter Buttes course, at the base of the spectacular mountain range, brought a different challenge. The mileage was shorter, yet the rolling terrain forced walkers to work harder. 

“Because of those slight hills, when you start getting tired and you’ve got to go uphill, it’s a whole other ball game,” she said. 

The event drew participants from Yuba, Sutter and Colusa counties, most of them civilians, but it also included retired Air Force Sergeant Anna Osoria‑Bates of Oroville, who started out at the front of the pack with a friend. 

Arbuckle native Dave Myers, now living in Colusa, chose to ride a bicycle on a longer loop that took him through the middle of the Sutter Buttes and around the north side while his daughter Gracie completed the ruck with ten pounds in her pack. He set out at the same time she did so they could finish close together. 

“That’s a 45 mile bike ride,” he said. 

Participants walk along the route during the Ruck the Buttes event in Sutter on April 18. 

Manor gathered the group before the event to thank them for coming and to recognize the military members in attendance. She also honored her own family’s service, naming her late father, Sergeant Lewis Manor, her brothers, Staff Sergeant Nathan Manor and Staff Sergeant Lincoln Manor, and her nephew, Lt. Col. Owen Manor. 

Manor had help along the route. Duke Craft provided transportation for participants who didn’t walk the full distance, and siblings Ellie and Jaxon Craft handed out water and snacks as the group spread out across the course. 

Twenty‑four participants took on the course in matching T-shirts and 21 crossed the finish line around four hours later. 

“It was a success,” Manor said. “Everyone had a good day.” 

Rucks like this one have continued to gain traction nationwide, often organized to show appreciation for those who serve or to support veterans’ causes. Manor said her focus was to bring people together in a way that honors service and encourages gratitude.