RoyT2THertfordshire FRS Chief Fire Officer Roy Wilsher was among hundreds of runners who took part in the annual Tunnel 2 Towers event held in memory of the tragic events in New York on September 11 and in London on 7 July.

T2T London 2013 [21 July] also featured Herts' Assistant Chief Officer Darryl Keen, who performed the ceremonial duties, and 10 HFRS volunteers who helped the organisers. The run goes from Bermondsey through the Rotherhithe Tunnel to Billingsgate Market.

T2T London is organised by the London Fire Brigade and was inspired by the New York T2T Run held in memory of Firefighter Stephen Siller, who was one of 343 firefighters who lost their lives when the Twin Towers collapsed in 2001. The run also remembers those affected by the events of 7/7 in London.

A very worthwhile cause
After completing his run, Director of Community Protection Roy said: "The course was a little longer than the 5km advertised, but given that I had actually completed some training and it was a little cooler than recent weeks, it was not too bad. I have a great deal of admiration though for the participants with disabilities and all those who ran in full uniform.

"The event was a huge success and I would personally like to thank all of the HFRS volunteers involved for taking the time to help and for representing the service so well. We have so far raised £255 for the Firefighters Charity, a very worthwhile cause."

Sacrificed their lives to save others
Hertfordshire’s community fire safety volunteers marshalled the event on mountain bikes and helped with general duties, such as escorting runners and offering assistance to competitors who had sustained injury. Hertfordshire’s FireBike was also there, following behind the runners alongside two volunteer Community Horse Patrol (CHiPs) riders on horses.

Richard Thake, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Planning, added: "The Tunnel to Towers run is a wonderful way to remember all those brave service men and women who sacrificed their lives trying to save others and all the victims of these two terrible events. It is a hugely worthwhile event and we are very proud of Roy Wilsher, Darryl Keen and the dedicated HFRS volunteers who took part."