TWO Hunter policemen will draw on the strength of the families left behind by fallen officers as they tackle a mammoth remembrance run.
Newcastle's Senior Sergeant Nathan Hardman and Maitland-based Constable Ben Kerr laced up their runners and hit the road before dawn on Wednesday.
The pair are running more than 300 kilometres in four days from the NSW Police Wall of Remembrance in Sydney to the National Police Memorial in Canberra, ending on National Police Remembrance Day on September 29.
Their 'run the wall' challenge is raising funds for NSW Police Legacy, the charity organisation caring for and supporting the families of police officers who have died.
Senior Sergeant Hardman told the Newcastle Herald he would be thinking of those loved ones.
"They have obviously gone through something far more significant and dare I say traumatic than me putting one foot in front of the other on the highway," he said.
"That pales in comparison to what they've been through, so I'll definitely draw on that to push me along, for sure."
Senior Sergeant Hardman became a 'Legacy champion' at work last year, tasked with raising awareness, and said being exposed to the experiences and stories of those the charity supports has been eye-opening.
"It's a really good support system that's in place to help kids and families that are left behind through tragic circumstances," he said.
Senior Sergeant Hardman and his colleague Constable Kerr had been setting running goals together before taking it to the extreme by agreeing to do an ultra-marathon per day for four days, side-by-side.
"I'll be able to look across and see that he's struggling and know that it's not just me, and we will be able to draw on that ... and if one of us is struggling, it might be a great time to mention Legacy and what we're doing it for," Senior Sergeant Hardman said.
He's run in one-day ultra-marathon events before, but his mate Constable Kerr is a reformed sprinter.
"I'm not looking forward to the hills, I'll just take it as it comes," he said.
He said he hoped doing the run would give the police families suffering loss some recognition, and help support them long-term.
The pair are well-prepared and have a support vehicle and crew with them.
Their shortest day will be about 68 kilometres, the longest will be about 85, and they will end with a quick 10-kilometre run into Canberra for a moment of reflection on Sunday.
Donate to the 'run the wall' fundraiser via NSW Police Legacy online. The organisation supports family members regardless of whether the police officer was serving or retired, or the circumstances of their death.
"Every dollar helps, I know that's a really cliche thing to say, but anything we can do to help those families is worth every cent," Senior Sergeant Hardman said.
National Police Remembrance Day services will be held across the state on Friday, September 27.
