Marathoner Hits Road To Raise Funds For Police Officers' Families

CLEARWATER, FL — On Tuesday, 49-year-old German police officer Achim Dieterich paid a visit to Clearwater Beach -- but this was no vacation.

It was Dieterich's final stop on a cross-state 165-mile run to raise funds for the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 43 Survivors Fund in Pinellas County, an assistance program for the families of Tampa Bay officers who have fallen in the line of duty.

On Saturday, Dieterich began his run with a splash in the Atlantic Ocean at South Beach Park in Vero Beach before proceeding along State Road 60 toward Florida's Gulf Coast. On Tuesday, he met up with fellow runners at Coachman Park and, together, they ran the final 2.8 miles to Clearwater Beach where Dieterich celebrated by dipping his feet in the Gulf of Mexico.

Dieterich said he was introduced to the Fraternal Order of Police as a member of the worldwide police fraternal organization, the Internal Police Association. Through the IPA, he befriended Florida police officers and became aware of the difficulties the families of officers encounter when an officer dies in the line of duty.

He decided to use his skills as an "Ultra Marathoner" to launch the Run for Law Enforcement Survivors and raise funds for these families.

"Although I am a police officer in Germany, the fraternity of law enforcement officers knows no international boundaries," he said. "Coming to America and running to raise money for the families of American fallen law enforcement officers is an honor like no other."

As a commissioner of the Ludwigsburg Police Department in South Germany, Dieterich said he's well-acquainted with the sacrifices members of law enforcement make.

"No matter where you are in the world, law enforcement officers put our lives on the line every time we go to work. Our job is to protect and serve the public, sometimes paying the ultimate sacrifice in doing so," said the father of two. "The officers that give their lives in public service have husbands, wives and children at home who loved them and depended on them. This is when those families directly need our support, and one of the missions of the Fraternal Order of Police is to be there for those families in their darkest hour."

Dieterich is no stranger to Clearwater. In 2019, he placed second overall in the 50K Clearwater Running Festival. His interest in running has also taken him to long-distance competitions throughout the world.

Donations can be made to the Run for Law Enforcement Survivors through FOP Lodge 43 by clicking here.