U.S. Police & Fire Championships Announces Virtual 5k/10k

April 29, 2021

Easy Day Sports to support 2021 championships with nationwide virtual running competition • Celebrating 55 years of Public Safety and First Responders; Online registration is open at uspfc.org

SAN DIEGO – April 29, 2021 – The 2021 United States Police & Fire Championships (USPFC) are going virtual. At least partially.

What began 55 years ago as the “California Police Olympics,” the USPFC are celebrating Public Safety and First Responders and planning for a mix of live and virtual athletic competitions in June, including a virtual 5k /10k road race which will be executed by Coronado-based Easy Day Sports.

The virtual events are open to active and retired law enforcement and fire service personnel, along with their friends and families across the county, as participants can run or walk anywhere whether it is on a track, road, sidewalk or trail. Registration is $40 per athlete for each event, or $60 for both races, and is open online at uspfc.org.

“Over the last year, our team has been hard at work planning for the implementation of best practices to provide a safe environment to host the 2021 Championships,” said U.S. Police and Fire Championships Games Manager Lisa Freedman. “We know that our in-person events this summer will not be as large as previous years and this virtual race is a great way to include athletes from across the U.S. in the competitions. It is important now more than ever that we encourage and support the public safety and first responder community in staying healthy, well and strong whether they join us in person or not.”

The United States Police & Fire Championships were first held in San Diego in 1967 and were founded by San Diego Police Lieutenant Veon “Duke” Nyhus, who recognized the need to promote physical fitness and camaraderie among members of the of Public Safety and First Responder community.

“This summer we celebrate our 55th year, adding in virtual races provides a great incentive for activity and an excellent chance for our participants to celebrate fun and fitness from a safe, social distance,” added Freedman. “We are excited to launch a new way to engage not only our athletes, but their friends and family who are welcome to compete as well. While this will not be a medal event, everyone who signs up will receive a commemorative shirt, bib and the 2021 Challenge Coin just for participating.”

The USPFC caters to active and retired public safety and first responders who participate in Olympic-style competitions and open to individuals representing firefighters, law enforcement, and officers from corrections, probation, border protection, immigration and customs from across the country. Traditionally athletes compete in 45+ sporting events from biathlon to motocross across 35+ venues in Southern California.

“We are delighted to partner with the United States Police & Fire Championships to put on a successful virtual event and encourage healthy and active lifestyles in our public safety and first responder community,” said Jamie Monroe, founder of Easy Day Sports and a former Navy Seal. “We know how event organizers have had to adjust throughout the pandemic and this virtual race provides a great incentive for fitness and competition through our virtual leaderboard and online rankings.”

For more information, or to register for the virtual race, visit www.uspfc.org.

About the United States Police and Fire Championships

The California Police Athletic Federation (CPAF) is the parent organization of two multi-sport programs designed for peace officers and firefighters. The World Police & Fire Games (WPFG) are open to active and retired law enforcement and fire service personnel throughout the world. The United States Police and Fire Championships (USPFC) are open to active or retired public safety and first responder personnel from an eligible agency within the USA. For more information, please visit www.uspfc.org.

About Easy Day Sports

Easy Day Sports is a boutique event production company that focuses on producing premier, professionally managed events with an emphasis in endurance sports. The company operates the Crown City Classic, a 4th of July Tradition in Coronado, and works with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys, and San Francisco 49ers producing fan focused 5k races at their respective stadiums. In 2020, the company also launched a successful series of Social Distance Virtual Runs, and currently produces both the Kaiser Permanente Thrive Half Marathon in San Diego and Carlsbad 5000, the world’s premier 5-kilometer road race. For sponsorship inquires or to register for a race, visit easydaysports.com.

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