The flag started the trek -- launched by American Airlines and United Airlines to raise money for the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks -- in Boston on Oct. 11.

Hill will carry the flag about 20 miles over Alabama's red clay en route to Old Glory's destination, Los Angeles. The flag won't pass through Tennessee.

"I told them I would run anywhere between Virginia and Alabama," the 30-year-old local businessman said. "I'm not an emergency worker, and I didn't go to New York to help clean up, and I wanted to do something to pay tribute.

"I thought this was the perfect thing to do," Hill said.

A friend told him about a Web page launched by American and United airlines to find volunteers to run the flag from Boston to Los Angeles. Hill visited the page and completed an application.

Organizers notified him about his stretch on Thursday. He'll run alongside a few other people.

"The thing that has come out of this is people banding together like the 'Band of Brothers,'" said Hill, who has watched the eight airings of the HBO miniseries about how 101st Airborne Division soldiers united during World War II.

Hill is fit for the task and is willing to run farther west if given the opportunity. He's completed two marathons since January, one in San Diego and another in Nashville.

"I'll probably get emotional when I get the flag," he said.

Thousands of runners have and will carry the flag in the around-the-clock relay, according to the Web page -- http://www.flagrun2001.org/

The page outlines how to volunteer to be a runner and how to make donations to the cause.

American and United each had two planes hijacked and crashed during the Sept. 11 attacks.

Brian Dunn can be reached by telephoen at 245-0236 or by e-mail at mailto:briandunn@theleafchronicle.com