Features Q&A
Run to Remember: How a 460-kilometre relay honours fallen peace officers

Recently, editor Brittani Schroeder spoke with Rob Shearer and Bob Hackenbrook, both from Peel Regional Police, about the twentieth anniversary of the Run to Remember, and how it supports the families of officers lost in the line of duty.

Q: Can you provide some background on the Run to Remember?

Bob Hackenbrook (BH): The National Peace Officers’ Memorial Run, known as the “Run to Remember”, was established in 2005 when the Peel Regional Police (PRP) running team, The Pacers, decided to raise awareness of the annual Police and Peace Officers’ Memorial Service. It’s also an event to support officers who have been killed in the line of duty and their surviving family members.

The annual national service is held on the last Sunday of September in Ottawa, with the run occurring over three days immediately preceding it.

The Run to Remember is a 460-kilometre relay that passes through many communities. It begins at the Ontario Police Memorial site in Toronto and finishes at the National Memorial in Ottawa.

Rob Shearer (RS): For the runners who 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, indeed, their country. The long—and sometimes gruelling—hours of running allows the participants the opportunity 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.

Ultimately, it’s not just a run through the city; it’s a lifestyle. We stand with these families who have suffered loss throughout the year.

Brockville, Ont. A gentleman who plays the bag pipes to great runners every year stands on the shoulder as they head out of Brockville. The “Lone Piper”. Photo: Peel Regional Police

Q: How has the run changed over the years?

BH: I’ve been with PRP for 29 years—Rob is at 36 years—and we’ve seen this run evolve since its inception. Eventually, other organizations jumped on board, the first being the Ontario Provincial Police. Now, we’ve grown to have more than 30 involved, everyone from corrections to immigration to military police, who are involved alongside the RCMP and provincial and municipal police services. We’ve also had officers come up from the United States to join our run, and we’ve sent officers down to their memorial runs.

We run from Toronto to Cobourg, to Brockville, and finally to Ottawa. Our problem now is that we don’t have enough rooms to house all the runners in Cobourg and Brockville, so we must cap the registration numbers at 300.

In 2018, we grew outwards and received interest from the Abbotsford Police Department to start a British Columbia run. Now, there’s the West Coast Run, which falls under our umbrella. A five-kilometre run was also held in Newfoundland. We hope to gain membership in Alberta soon, as Edmonton Police and Calgary Police are also considering starting a Run to Remember.

RS: Not only has it evolved in size, but also in the charitable donations we’re able to collect and the awareness we can raise. As we run through the smaller Ontario communities, we’re greeted with open arms, and they really roll out the red carpet for us. People line the streets and show their support. It’s actually a counter-narrative to what people think about the relationship between police and society.

During our run, we also like to identify widows’ and widowers’ homes if we pass them on the route and drop by to say hello. The mother of Cst. Chris Garrett, who was killed in the line of duty in 2004, lives in Cobourg. One year, we stopped by her house during the run and made pasta sauce with her. Chris started his career at PRP, and he left to police in a smaller community because he thought it would be safer for his family. This just highlights the fact that bad things can happen anywhere in this profession.

BH: The run now includes survivors—those family members left behind after the loss. Their presence inspires the core group of runners to complete their journey of remembrance. We’ve seen children grow up while doing this run. Three young boys joined immediately after their father was killed, and at first, they would carry the flags or do other small tasks. Now, they’re bigger than us and running great lengths. Seeing them going through their lives and knowing that they’re okay is rewarding.

Though this run is dedicated specifically to those who die in the line of duty, we still recognize those who are lost in other ways. In 2022, York Regional Police’s Cst. Travis Gillespie was killed in a car accident while on his way to a training day. His whole family came to our stop in Cobourg during the 2023 run, and we made sure to mention them and him.

RS: As the run grew to include more organizations, Cst. Devon Northrup came on board to help, and he was such a big part of our team. In 2022, Devon was killed in the line of duty. This was someone who was always running for everyone else, and then last year, we ran for him. It is tough, but we keep going for him.

A group picture of the fallen officers’ families who participate in the run. Featured: Shelley Atkinson, Nancy Macdonald, Jackie Maclean, Nadine Larche, Heather Pham, Jordan Pham, Josh Pham, Savannah Deschenes, Jenny Hong, Brenda Orr. Photo: Peel Regional Police

Q: Can you tell me about the charitable donations made from the funds raised?

BH: We donate yearly to the federal memorial in Ottawa, the provincial peace officers’ memorial in Toronto, and to other provincial memorials across the country. Then, we donate to the families who have children. For those widows or widowers who do not have children, we ask them which organization or charity we can donate to in their loved one’s name. Usually, they are charities focused on community initiatives. For example, RCMP’s Cst. Harvinder Singh Dhami, who was killed in April 2023, didn’t have any kids, so a donation to Meals on Wheels was made because he used to volunteer there.

RS: The intent of the donations is almost to be self-directed because we don’t want them to be pigeonholed. We truly want to help the family out where we can. If the children are not ready to head off to school, then a scholarship isn’t the best fit for them, but maybe they’ve dreamed about going to Disney World or something along those lines. With the donations’ help, they can live out that dream in spite of the fact that they’ve suffered this severe loss.

BH: We’ve also supported Camp F.A.C.E.S. in the past. They are essentially a support group that hosts classes for widows and their kids, and it’s for anyone who has lost first responder loved ones. They could’ve also been lost to suicide or other mental health-related causes. For the kids, it helps to normalize what’s going on in their lives so they know they’re not alone in what they’re going through.

By the end of this year, we will have been able to raise $600,000 over the past two decades, all of it donated.

The original team from 2005. Photo: Peel Regional Police

Q: Is there anything special happening this year to commemorate the run’s twentieth anniversary?

BH: We’re inviting back our alumni members, the Peel Pacers, who started the run in 2005. At that time, they were probably around 30 to 40 years old, and now they’ll be close to 60. We owe this all to them, as they got the ball rolling.

RS: This is also the first year we’ve sought corporate sponsors. Generally, a lot of the money we accumulate for donations comes through the sale of t-shirts. We’re expanding by trying to involve stakeholder groups that are somehow connected to the world of law enforcement.

The British Columbia team. Photo: Peel Regional Police

Q: What does the Run to Remember mean to you?

RS: I was inspired to join policing by family friends, and their grandfather, Det. Michael Irwin, was killed in the line of duty. So not only do I owe them thanks for my career in policing, but they were the driving force behind my initial involvement in the Run as well. Every time I run, I run for them.

BH: Every officer has a few close calls throughout their careers, and in the U.S.A., they probably have dozens. My wife, who is also a police officer, joined the run before I did and encouraged me to do it with her. After that first time, I was hooked. We run with spouses, children and parents of those we’ve lost. Seeing how much support we can give them and how much it means to them has always stuck with me.

We like to say that it’s not about the strength of our legs, but the strength of our hearts.