New York Half Marathon fast approaching for West Midlands team

29 February 2024

The countdown is on to the New York Half Marathon when a team of officers from West Midlands Police will join colleagues from across the country in raising money for a children’s cancer charity.

Branch chair Rich Cooke is one of the 17-strong team from the Force who will be tackling the 13-mile course in the Big Apple. They will each be wearing police uniform from the waist up - including a wicking top, epaulettes and a hat - teamed with running gear.

They will join colleagues from around the UK including the Metropolitan Police, British Transport Police and Police Scotland, with a total of 85 officers taking part in the race on Saturday 20 May.

The runners are aiming to raise awareness of neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that affects children, mostly under the age of five.

They are also raising money for Joining Against Cancer in Kids, or J-A-C-K.org, a charity founded in 2008 by Metropolitan Police officers, which provides research into neuroblastoma and offers advice and support to families with children with a diagnosis.

And the day after the half marathon, the officers will run a further 5k in memory of fallen New York Police Department (NYPD) officers.

Rich said: “Since the end of December 2022 I’ve started running and I’ve really got into it.

Branch chair Rich Cooke in training.

“I love running, I love taking part in the races and I like having targets.

"The added bonus with this is that it includes travelling, meeting other police officers from around the country, and we’re doing it for a really great cause.

“It’s the marrying up of a personal interest and something I enjoy doing with doing something good for other people.”

J-A-C-K.org was founded in 2008 by officers in the Metropolitan Police. The charity was inspired by Jack Brown, who was seven when he died from neuroblastoma after a three-year illness. His mum Yvonne and dad Richard were detectives in the Met.

For the past 18 years, police officers from the UK have been running the New York Half Marathon in Central Park to help raise money for the charity.

The runners are known as 'Jack’s Pack', and hope to raise more than £30,000 for the charity.

Rich said: “It’s a really great cause that helps support children and their families. We are funding all the travel ourselves so nothing is coming away from the charity.

"And it’s something that helps to build trans-Atlantic police links with the NYPD. We’re all really looking forward to it.”

You can donate to the West Midlands team by visiting their JustGiving page.