Rice Lake 5K honors John Werner, funds veterans history programs

Nearly 100 runners and walkers turned out for the Command Sergeant Major John S. Werner Memorial 5K in Rice Lake, giving Veterans Memorial Hall a boost for programs that preserve local military history and support veterans at the St. Louis County Depot. The race has grown into more than a neighborhood run: it now helps fund the Mike Colalillo Scholarship, the annual Remembrance Dinner, History in a Pint, Veterans Day commemorations and improvements to Medal of Honor Row.

The event is tied to the legacy of John Stanley Werner, who was born Sept. 20, 1950, died March 25, 2023, and served more than 40 years in military life, including service in Vietnam, a leadership role in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010, and recognition with the Legion of Merit. Werner also helped shape civic life close to home. After Rice Lake’s township incorporation process began in 2014 and the city incorporated in 2015, he was elected the first mayor of the City of Rice Lake that same year.

Race director Ron Hein has said the event exists to keep Werner’s legacy alive and to inspire younger generations, and the turnout showed the community has embraced that goal. Organizers had hoped to reach the 100-runner mark, and this year’s field came close, with families, walkers and runners sharing the course. One participant from Duluth Township even pushed a child in a stroller, a small scene that reflected how broad the event has become. Windy conditions made the route tougher, but the race still drew participants looking for a local tune-up for Grandma’s Marathon.

The fundraiser’s reach extends well beyond one morning in Rice Lake. Veterans Memorial Hall says History in a Pint brings a veteran or veteran story to the public while guests can buy beer from local brewers, and the Remembrance Dinner remains one of the hall’s signature events at the St. Louis County Depot. Those programs, along with Veterans Day commemorations and work on Medal of Honor Row, depend in part on the race proceeds.

Werner’s son, Tom Werner, also took part in keeping his father’s name visible in the community. That matters in Rice Lake, where Werner was remembered not only as a soldier and mayor but also as a heavy equipment mechanic at Ziegler, a Boy Scouts volunteer and a builder of the local government that followed the township-to-city transition. The 5K has become a practical way to turn that memory into support for veterans, stories and civic history that still need maintaining.