The New Hampshire State Police 22nd Annual D.A.R.E. Classic 5K Road Race was held August 8, 2012 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH. A family-friendly event, the course is actually run on the same track as the NASCAR race! It’s a paved, five-kilometer double loop starting on the Speedway Track, running through Pit Row twice, onto the Motorcycle Track, and then back through Pit Row to the actual Race Track Finish Line! A mildly rolling course, I ran a 7:51 pace for a 24:24 finish which placed me 50th out of 249 runners, and 6th place in my division. This is always a fun run with our uniformed officers who are dedicated to providing the highest degree of law enforcement service throughout the State of New Hampshire while maintaining the traditions of fairness, professionalism and integrity. Proceeds from the race benefit the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, which is a kindergarten through high school life-skills program that provides students with factual information on drugs, gangs and violence to enable children to resist pressure to engage in unlawful activity. It also fosters a positive relationship between the community and their local police departments. D.A.R.E. is the largest drug prevention program offered in 54 countries throughout the world. In New Hampshire, the program is presented in 111 schools to over 12,000 students by 125 D.A.R.E. certified NH police officers.
