Born to run: Florida teen's years-long marathon includes mile for fallen Wayne Co. deputy Matthew Fishman

But he's not in trouble. The officers are in full support of the 13-year-old and the broader cause he's running for.

For the organization, he runs one mile for every fallen first responder throughout the nation from his small Florida town north of Orlando.

Cartledge usually runs carrying a "thin blue line" flag at a local elementary school and has been followed by as many as 100 other officers on the track. On Wednesday, he was joined by a few family members and several cruisers who followed his trek with flashing lights and blaring sirens. He posts videos on the group's Facebook page, sometimes posting the full mile-run.

He's completed runs all over the country, including in North Carolina where he's taken off in Raleigh, Concord and Kernersville. Overall, he's helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in support of families of those who died.

Cartledge, who's parents help him run the organization, has the discipline and perspective rarely found in a boy that hasn't even started eighth grade. He knows these strides are not meant for him, as each lap carries extra meaning.

They are runs of reverence. Because of that, the appreciation and support has poured in.

"Every mile's different, that's why I still make sure I do the best every single time," he said.

He estimates he has about 3,00 patches from first responder agencies all over the country as a sign of appreciation.

"The biggest message obviously comes from the families when they see the run and they say how much it meant to them," he said. "The main reason why I'm doing it is to keep everybody remembering first responders that passed away. Not a lot of people realize how much we lose."

Cartledge said he wants to pursue a career as a commercial pilot and has already gotten some training in that field. For now, he wants to keep logging miles for the cause for about two more years, then other youngsters will take on the role after him as the organization grows. He wants Running 4 Heroes to go on beyond him as he continues growing up and joining other pursuits.

"What I want everybody to see out of me is that I'm a great example for our youth coming up and I want to inspire younger generations to go for whatever passion they have and have dedication toward what they want to do in life," Cartledge said.