Runners and walkers took over Lower Manhattan Sunday for the annual 9/11 Memorial and Museum 5K.

Nearly 23 years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, New Yorkers showed out for a run to honor those who lost their lives that day.

The annual event is put on by the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, they say it’s a chance for those with personal connections to 9/11 to never forget.

“I’ve never run before in my life. This was quite a challenge. I play sports, but never just to run. This was really fulfilling. I feel great about what I did today,” Devin Deraney said. “I lost a cousin to 9/11, so [it] felt like a way to actually participate, and do something, raise some money for a very, very important organization.”

“I lost my cousin, Michael D’Auria, on 9/11, so my family and I come every year to support this race and just keep Michael’s name alive,” Robert Perretta, one of the lead organizers of the race and 5K visionary chair at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, said.

The race starts in Battery Park and follows the route rescue and recovery workers took to reach the scene of the attack.

“It’s something that I don’t think [anyone] will ever forget,” Carolina Murillo, another runner, said. “My boyfriend is a firefighter for New Jersey, so that’s also motivation to support all of our first responders, and be there for them.”

Members of the FDNY also gathered along the race route to serve up support, motivating runners to get across the finish line.

“I think having the FDNY was a very big thing. If it wasn’t for them, I don’t think we would be running right now,” Murillo said.

The race ends at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza. Funds raised from the run go directly to support programming at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, helping future generations remember and understand its impact.

“It was fun, it was exciting, it was also tiring around the end but it was a great experience,” Andrew Rondon, one of the young runners who participated in the 5K with his family, said.

“To remember the people that gave their lives to protect further lives, it was really moving,” Andrew’s 14-year-old brother, Daniel Rondon, said.

“My uncle Frankie, he unfortunately passed two years ago from esophageal cancer, 9/11-related. He was a steamfitter, Local 638, so yeah I just love coming through to support everyone that’s still here, first responders, those who unfortunately passed on,” Tyler Anzalone, another runner, said.

Organizers said more than 4,000 people participated in this year’s event.