People from all over Los Angeles made a huge effort to run to honor those who serve or have fallen from serving our country. This year, the Run to Remember took place on April 7 in Century City along the streets of Santa Monica Boulevard and The Avenue of the Stars.

Sean Mccoy, a 17-year-old cadet with the LAPD Leadership Academy, attends Palisades Charter High school and was also a participant in the run. “As being a recruit trainer at the academy, I felt like it was my duty to help push the recruits to finish the run with the best of their abilities,” Mccoy said.

The runners all came from different backgrounds and were running for a different purposes. There were approximately one thousand people at the event. The main purpose of this run is to support those who serve our country, whether it be in local emergency services or in the military. Some also run to honor someone who lost their life in the service of their community or country.

The run offered three different courses: 5k, 10k and a half marathon. Youth academy programs members and individuals who are in active service and others in the community participated in the run.

Hugo Dias, a 17-year-old high school student from Renaissance Arts Academy, ran the 5k with LAPD Leadership Cadet Academy. “The run was fun very meaningful and important to me because I have family members that have served this country,” Dias said. “I am super lucky and happy I was able to be a part of the Run to Remember this year.”

During the run, there were a few recruits from the LAPD Cadet Leadership Academy who were falling behind, but the recruits began to motivate each other with different cadences to ensure that no one gave up.

“The number of people participating in the run keeps growing every year,” Dias said. The LAPD Cadet Leadership Academy is planning to run for the Run to Remember next year as well.