National Peace Officers’ Memorial Run

The primary objective of the National Peace Officers’ Memorial ‘Run to Remember’ is to raise awareness and focus attention on the annual Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial Service. The annual Service is held on the last Sunday of September in Ottawa, with the run occurring over a three-day period immediately preceding it.

The ‘Run to Remember’ is a 460 km relay that makes its way through many communities between the start at the Ontario Police Memorial site in Toronto to the end at the National Memorial on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

Not only does the run raise awareness about the Memorial Service, it also gives peace officers and citizens along the route the opportunity to participate in some small way if they are unable to attend the actual Memorial Service.

For the runners that participate in the three-day relay, it is their way of fulfilling that pledge, that promise, that they will not forget those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of their community, their province, and their country. The long and sometimes grueling hours of running allow the participants to reflect on the sacrifices of those brave officers whose names are etched on the Memorial Wall in Ottawa, and their families who have had to endure the pain of their loss.

In addition to raising awareness of the Memorial Service in Ottawa, the run’s other objective is to raise funds for the following:

• Trust funds established for the families of officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
• Donations towards the construction of any Memorial being built in memory of fallen peace officers.
• Donations to the National Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial Fund to assist with the funding of the annual Memorial Service.
• Donations to help fund any annual Provincial Memorial Service established to recognize fallen peace officers in their province.
• Donate to any community charitable initiative which is in the name of a fallen officer

In 2005, Randy Patrick, an Inspector with Peel Regional Police at the time was inspired after attending a memorial run in the United States for fallen officers.   When he returned home to Canada he went for a jog and was inspired with the idea to create a run to raise awareness for the Canadian National Peace Officer Memorial by running from Toronto to Ottawa in 3 days.  Randy shared his idea with 23 other runners with Peel Regional Police who were known as the “Peel Pacers”.    The team committed to the event and began preparations.   A log was designed, shirts were made and Randy and his long-time friend,  Johnny Walker drove the route in Randy’s little Honda Accord on Good Friday 2005, marking out 10 km legs from the Ontario Police Memorial in Queens Park, Toronto to the Canadian Peace Offices Memorial on Parliament Hill, for a distance of 460km.  In September 2005 the first NPOMR was a success and together they completed their journey overlooking the tablets of the Canadian Peace Officer’s Memorial calling it the “Run to Remember.”

Randy Patrick remained the chair of the National Peace Officers’ Run for 14 years (2005-2018).  In 2021, now Deputy Chief of Peel Regional Police Randy Patrick passes the milestone of 40 years’ service to the people of Ontario, remains active with the NPOMR as a mentor to the current executive committee, and attends ceremonies supporting fallen officer’s families.  Randy would be annoyed if great people weren’t recognized in this story as they all contributed to the success as part of the executive of the NPOMR ensuring its expansion.  Magdi Younan, Bryan Smithson, Natalie Hiltz, Todd Christie, Matt Small, Wayne Unruh, Dan Dimitroff, Paul Kim, Tonya Richel, Emoke Demeter, Trevor Heck, Wendy Sims, Dawn Orr (who has run every year since 2005), Rob Shearer, Bob Hackenbrook,  Randy’s wife Cindy Patrick, and Randy’s best buddy, retired Sgt. Johnny Walker has run every year since the run began. There have been several team captains from over 40 committed peace officer organizations from across the country who have made an impact to support and honour our fallen heroes.  The Team captains are the heart of the run and ensure its continued success each year.   As the years have passed the NPOMR additional runs have been made in British Columbia, (West Cost Run – Daryl Young Abbotsford PD ), in Newfoundland, and Nunavut (James Cooke RCMP ) in support of our fallen officers.