Project Endure: LAPD Cops Run 420 Miles To Honor Fallen Colleagues

A pair of Los Angeles Police officers kicked off a 12-day, 420-mile run from L.A. to Sacramento to raise money for the families of officers killed in the line of duty.

Officers Joe Cirrito and Kristina Tudor began their epic journey, called Project Endure, at the Los Angeles Police Academy on Sunday morning, KABC reported. It’ll wrap up at the California Peace Officer’s Memorial in the state capital nearly two weeks later on December 8.

Cirrito and Tudor will switch off every 20 miles, so each will get the chance to rest in a nearby recreational vehicle while the other picks up the slack. NBC Bay Area says the officers have access to food full of proteins and carbs, as well as Gatorade, soda and water.

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As if the run wasn’t difficult enough, Cirrito and Tudor are wearing their full Class-A police uniforms, which have roughly 25 pounds of gear on them.

“I feel great, feel real good. We have a long way to go, so you can ask me in about 200 miles or so,” Officer Cirrito, 47, told CBS Sacramento.

“We’re going into the unknown,” Tudor, 30, an ultramarathon runner who works on the LAPD’s Metropolitan Division, told NBC Bay Area before the run began. “There are definitely things we’re going to be learning about ourselves that we probably didn’t even know existed.”

Both officers have been training extensively over the past several months to get ready for the trek.

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As has been widely reported in the media, it’s been a very challenging year for LEOs. Cirrito and Tudor hope that this run will make a difference for the families of slain officers.

“This is an honor for me,” he said. “This has been a very tough year for law enforcement. The biggest thing about why I enjoy running in uniform is I get to talk to people. It’s so important that people understand that we’re human.”

All funds raised from the run will go to C.O.P.S. (Concerns of Police Survivors), and the Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation. Visit the Project Endure GoFundMe page to contribute.