Law Enforcement Escorting Special Olympics Torch to Summer Games

For 41 years, the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Kentucky has carried the Special Olympics Flame of Hope to our State Summer Games Opening Ceremony via their annual Final Leg. But this year the Flame got an earlier start than usual thanks to a brand new event.

The Flame was lit as part of the Opening Ceremonies of the inaugural LETR 5k on May 23 in Louisville. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg was once again on hand to help with the event. More than 100 people took part in the first-year 5k, including runners from several law enforcement organizations in Jefferson County and beyond.

The Torch continued it’s journey just a few days later when the Elizabethtown Police Department held its annual run in Hardin County.

Things really get busy the week of the State Summer Games with a run in Bullitt County on Monday, June 1. The Flame of Hope starts the morning where Shepherdsville Police Department and Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office will carry the torch from The Shepherdsville Police Department to the Bullitt County Courthouse.

On Tuesday, June 2, the Flame travels to Western Kentucky where KSP, Bowling Green Police and the Warren County Sheriff’s Office will escort it on a 5.5-mile journey starting at 5:30 pm at 12 Flex Park Dr. near Redpoint Climbing Center and Bowling Green Athletic Club South to Chaney’s Dairy Barn.

Wednesday, June 3, will see the Torch in Northern Kentucky with a morning start at KSP Post 6 in Dry Ridge. From there it will travel to the Grant County Courthouse. After leaving Grant County, the Torch will make an appearance at the Kenton County Police Department in Independence followed by a 1.5-mile run to Simon Kenton High School. The Kenton County leg will include their new cruiser which the Kenton County Police have wrapped in a Law Enforcement Torch Run theme.

The Flame of Hope will start its final trip to the Summer Games in Frankfort in front of the Old State Capitol Building at 10 am. After a short Opening Ceremony the Torch will be carried to the Frankfort Police Department.

The Torch will stay in Frankfort for another leg at Stewart Home and School. The Torch will run into campus from the School entrance. That will be followed by a performance by Stewart Home School students.

Nicholasville will be the next stop on the Final Leg. The Nicholasville route will begin at the Nicholasville Police Department at 12:30 pm.

From Nicholasville it will be on to Lexington, where the Flame of Hope will start at the Old Morrison Building on the Transylvania University campus at 2 pm. Officers will run from there to the old Fayette County Courthouse on Main St. From there the Flame will be transferred to the University of Kentucky Police Department who will run it to the Wildcat Statue on the UK Campus.

The Final Leg arrives in Richmond at 3:45 pm at the Richmond Police Department. There will be a short ceremony there before officers run the Torch from there approximately 2.2 miles into the Eastern Kentucky University campus.

Finally, officers from the Richmond Police Department and the Final Leg contingent will present the Torch at the Opening Ceremonies in Baptist Health Area at 6 pm.

We are deeply appreciative of all of the work our Torch Run officers put into the Final Leg every year. We especially want to thank Torch Run Director Trevor Ford of the Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office for his work, as well as Jenna Zabel from Louisville Metro Police for her incredible work on the 5k.

For more information about the 2026 Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg or about other Torch Run activities, contact Deputy Trevor Ford at tford.letrky@outlook.com.