Run with the Flame
The public is invited to participate in the kick-off of the Torch Run as part of the inaugural Run with the Flame. This two-mile run -- with the first mile dedicated to fallen officer Chris Shea -- is sponsored by Nicola Pizza and will begin at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand on June 10 at approximately 7:45 p.m. The run will follow the kick-off ceremony, which begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Bandstand.
For a $25 registration fee, runners will receive a commemorative tee shirt and the opportunity to run in the police-escorted run in and around the Rehoboth Beach area as the torch begins its 161-mile journey north.
Runners should be able to keep up a 10-minute mile pace, which will keep them within the traffic-controlled confines of the group. There will be a shuttle available at the one-mile mark for those not wanting to run the entire two miles.
REGISTER FOR THE RUN WITH THE FLAME
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Delaware Law Enforcement Torch Run
The signature event of Delaware Law Enforcement’s support of Special Olympics is the annual 161-mile Torch Run, presented by Macy's East, that precedes Summer Games. During the three-day run, police officers carry the Special Olympics ‘Flame of Hope’ across the state to create awareness and generate excitement about the upcoming Summer Games.
In 2008, more than 450 police officers ran in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Delaware, presented by Macy's East.
The Torch Run kicks off in Rehoboth Beach the Wednesday before Summer Games with Law Enforcement Motorcycles presenting the ‘Flame of Hope’ at the bandstand. Runners then lead the flame out of town with the first mile dedicated to Cpl. Chris Shea, DSP who was tragically killed in a traffic accident. This first leg of the Torch Run is sponsored by Nicola Pizza. The flame continues to Delaware State Police Troop 7 in Lewes where the run stops for the night.
On Thursday, the Torch Run resumes in three Sussex County locations – Delmar, Lewes and Georgetown. The three Sussex County legs of the Torch Run unite in Harrington, where the three torches become one and continue heading northbound through Kent County. The procession stops for an afternoon ceremony at Legislative Hall in Dover before the flame makes its way to Odessa.
The final day of the Torch
Run, Friday, is marked by several ceremonies and specific miles dedicated
to law enforcement officers, with the Flame of Hope ultimately making
its way into Summer Games Olympic Village around 5:15 p.m. One of the dedicated portions
of the run is the one-mile leg down Main Street in Newark – called ‘Gary’s
Mile’ in tribute to Gary Summerville, a fellow officer who died
in a traffic accident. The final mile into Olympic Village is called ‘Jimmy’s
Mile’ in honor of Jim Curran, a former New Castle County police
officer who was injured in an accident.
Throughout the Torch Run, the Delaware Good Samaritan (Good Sam) Club follows torch runners in recreational vehicles to provide safety and refreshments.