BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) — A group of cadets from CU Boulder are running alongside police officers for a 24-hour tribute to fallen Boulder police officer Eric Talley.
“When it happened, it was just an emotional rollercoaster that we were on and it was a matter of, ‘Okay, how can we pay tribute to someone who saved lives?'” Cadet Kim told FOX31.
Kim and several other cadets helped organize the event. They began at 2:37 p.m. outside the Table Mesa King Soopers.
“So, 2:37 is when Officer Talley arrived on scene and entered the King Soopers building,” Kim said.
Over a period of 24 hours, the runners carrying an American flag and a thin blue line flag will follow a continuous loop through Boulder intentionally going past King Soopers, CU Boulder police and the Boulder Police Department.
“Man, it’s going to be, it’s going to be gut wrenching,” Kim said. “It’s going to put some fire in the blood and it’s going to get us to really think about how grateful and how awesome our community is.”
The runners will need all the strength and inspiration they can get to complete the run. Groups will keep the flags moving every moment of each assigned hour.
“Surprisingly we have one of our biggest shifts of runners at, I think, like 1 a.m.,” Kim said.
Some runners could end up racking up as many as 35 miles during the event.
“I don’t know if I can run more than 20 miles, but if we need it and if that’s what it takes, I’m going to do it,” Kim said.
The run will officially end at 2:37 p.m. in front of the Boulder Police Department on Saturday.
“It’s to show, like, sacrifice. And that we’re willing to be uncomfortable and do something and make ourselves uncomfortable and push ourselves outside of our limits to really show how much we care,” Kim said.
While the public is not invited to join the runners, members of the public are welcome to cheer the runners on along their route. The public is also encouraged to safely gather at Boulder Police Headquarters Saturday afternoon to cheer the runners on across the finish line.
