About 30 Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) recruits ran 6.5 miles to the ocean Monday morning, upholding a more than 25-year-long tradition.

The recruits of Class 87 began their run in the north area of El Dorado Park, through the south area of the park then onto the river path for the San Gabriel River before finally ending their run at Seal Beach, said LBPD Commander Randy Allen.

The run is a great way to build a sense of fellowship among the men and women, as well as get their feet wet for the job ahead of them in the LBPD, said Academy Sgt. Greg Schirmer.

“They work as a team and run in cadence,” he said. “It’s a motivational run. People from all over our department show up to join them. It starts to build the relationship for them to become part of the LBPD family. That’s what we are here. We’re a family.”

Maintaining physical fitness is not only important for the job, but also for the future officers’ health, Schirmer said.

“Officers not only need to be fit for their job, but it’s also beneficial to handle the stresses of the job,” he said. “You have a heightened level of awareness as an officer, and being fit can help them survive those increases of heart rate.”

Upon completion of the 27-week program, which began in the summer and ends next week, the recruits will be on a probation period during a year-long training program.