Memorial run brings over 200 officers through Kingston
Around noon today, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, over 200 runners will arrive in Kingston as part of the annual memorial run for officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
Yesterday at 8 a.m., law enforcement officers from across the province began a three-day, 460 km run from the Ontario Police Memorial in Toronto to Ottawa to coincide with the National Peace Officer Memorial on Parliament Hill Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022.
According to a release from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the run was created in 2005 when a small group of Peel Police Officers wanted to raise awareness of the annual memorial service and the officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. The run has now grown to over 200 runners including federal, provincial, and municipal police services, Probation, Corrections, and Canadian Forces, as well as some American officers. The OPP said that, in ditching their cruisers and taking to the highway on foot, the runners cover the 460-kilometre route each year, raising awareness and funds for the victims’ families, while reflecting on those who are no longer with us.
The runners are travelling along Highway 2 with escort vehicles providing support along the way. The group left Coburg Friday morning at 7 a.m., following Highway 2 towards Brighton. According to the release, two separate relays will take runners through both Trenton and Belleville at approximately 9 a.m. and will see them arrive in the Kingston area around 12 p.m.
Runners will continue east through Gananoque before hitting the Thousand Island Parkway for approximately 35 kilometres. The runners return to Highway 2 near Brockmere Cliffs and converge to Lyn Road/County Road 46; at that point the team run will continue into Brockville, finishing at the Brockville Court House at approximately 5:30 p.m., according to the release.
The OPP said that members of the community are encouraged to come out and support the runners as they complete day one of a three-day journey to Ottawa. The OPP also request that motorists be aware of the runners and vehicles on the highway to ensure that everyone using the highway arrives safely