A unit of riot police with helmets and shields joined a thousand runners at a historic park on Sunday.
The team of 11 officers, weighed down by riot gear, ran the Sport Relief Mile at Nonsuch Park and raised about £450 for charity.
Epsom and Ewell Neighbourhood Inspector Craig Knight, who brought the team together, said the kit weighs about 2.5 stone (16 kg).
Insp Knight said: "It’s a bit like carrying a small child and jogging for a mile.
Photo: Morgan Knight
"If you can imagine running in walking boots, two or three layers of clothes and a rucksack on your back then the shock helmet and shield.
"It’s entertaining."
The officers started and finished the run as a unit with 10 public order officers in a line in front of Insp Knight who brought up the rear.
When asked how other runners reacted, he said: "It can be quite intimidating, I can imagine, looking back at 11 people in riot gear, especially when we overtook.
"Hopefully not too much, it was all in good sport."
Oracle Group runners before the race
About a thousand runners were sponsored to run either one, three or six miles at Nonsuch Park, an Epsom Council spokesman said.
A team of runners from the Oracle Group, a PR and marketing company in Ewell, ran, walked and galloped for six miles and raised more than £1,000.
Caroline Coskry, group managing director, said: "I am so very proud of our team. We have been training for this since the beginning of the year when we decided to try to do something to shake off the post-Christmas bulge.
"It was a brilliant day and luckily the weather held out for us. It has definitely spurred us on to look at other running events - although we all need quite a bit of recovery time first!"
The Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile was part of a national effort to raise money in order to transform lives in the UK and some of the world’s poorest counties.
Sponsor the riot police team here.
Oracle Group runners at the finish line
Photo: Nik Bartrum
Photo: Nik Bartrum
Photo: Nik Bartrum
Paralympian Sophia Warner
Photo: Nik Bartrum
Photo: Nik Bartrum
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel