10/12/2026
We are all familiar with the Keeper of the Plains in Wichita, and you've probably seen little models of it around town. Did you know that some of these statues are not in Wichita or even in the U.S.? One of them is in a city called Orléans in France. A long time ago, during World War II, some American soldiers from Kansas helped free Orléans from the N***s. They formed a special bond with the people there. In 1973, Wichita and Orléans officially became "sister cities”. Not long after, Wichita gave one of the Keeper of the Plains statues to Orléans, and it now sits in a park there. This year marks the 50th anniversary of two big events. One is a yearly race in Orléans called the "Courses de l'Indien," which celebrates the statue and the friendship between the two cities. The other is the 50th birthday of Run Wichita! So to celebrate both anniversaries together, a group from Run Wichita will fly to Orléans to join in their city’s celebrations. We'll run in races on Sunday, October 18 (5K, 10K, half-marathon), and we’ll also get to see some sights and have fun exploring! Follow our journey on our socials!!