About 15,000 people ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel at the seventh annual Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers event on Sunday.

The race is in memory of Siller, a firefighter, and other rescue personnel who died while they tried to save others during the Sept. 11 attacks.

The run-walk took participants to Vessey Street, across from Ground Zero. Once they finished the trek, people enjoyed performances and children?s activities. Locals say it?s an honor to be a part of the event.

?[Rescue workers] turn their lives over to other people without hesitation. Just me coming out is nothing at all. I?ll do this in a second,? says Anthony Hewitt, an event volunteer.

Siller was off-duty on the day of the attacks and heading home from an overnight shift when he heard about the attack on the World Trade Center. After he realized he couldn?t drive through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, he strapped on his gear and ran toward Manhattan.