Runners, dog-walkers and stroller-pushing families will gather at Genoa Park on September 26th for the Columbus Police Honor Guard's Memorial 5K and Kids Fun Run, a family-friendly race that hands out cookies at every mile marker while raising money for the families of officers killed in the line of duty. The Kids Fun Run kicks off at 9 a.m., with the 5K following immediately at 9:15 a.m., both starting and finishing near the Columbus Police Memorial at 303 W. Broad Street.
The event, now in its 13th year, is organized by the Columbus Division of Police Honor Guard. The race features a family-oriented “Cops & Cookies” theme, complete with treats stationed along the course. The Honor Guard's work is also connected to the memorial context surrounding the race.
Money raised through the race carries real weight for grieving families. The race also raises money, according to RunSignup. Organizers set a public fundraising target of $5,000 for the 2026 event on that same platform.
Registration, Route, and What Runners Get
Kids Fun Run registration costs $30, while 5K registration starts at $45, per RunSignup's event listing. In-person registrants receive event t-shirts and commemorative badge items, and cookies are stationed at every mile marker and piled up at the finish line, the same listing notes. Event information is available at copsandcookies5k.com, and parking is available at the COSI parking garage.
The race welcomes walkers, runners, dogs and strollers alike.
Why Genoa Park Holds Special Meaning
The race's location is no accident. The Columbus Police Memorial at Genoa Park was formally dedicated on May 26, 2000, and consists of a 15-foot-wide, 10-foot-tall Barre Gray granite structure topped with a bronze department badge and black mourning band, according to Wikipedia. The memorial's design came from Thomas Raymond Hayes, a police artist who was paralyzed after being shot in the line of duty in 1979; his own name was added to the monument following his death in 2011, which was officially ruled a homicide resulting from his 1979 duty injuries.
As of May 2016, 56 Columbus police officers who died in the line of duty have been engraved on the granite slabs at Genoa Park, with SWAT Officer Steven M. Smith becoming the 56th name after he was fatally shot in Clintonville on April 10, 2016; the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police lists his end-of-watch date as April 12. The site also hosts memorial services.
Planning for Race Day at the Memorial
The memorial and park gates are part of Genoa Park's race-day setting, along with the route and other event logistics.
The sacrifices remembered at Genoa Park reflect a broader statewide toll. Ohio ranks 5th in the nation for total line-of-duty law enforcement deaths, according to the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police. Data from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, cited by the same association, shows a U.S. officer is killed in the line of duty approximately every 57 hours.
