San Bernardino Valley College Police Academy Runs in the Mud

There are two things about a mud run that make it an ideal training exercise for law enforcement trainees. One, it is an extremely rigorous test of fitness. Running on solid surfaces that provide pretty decent traction is one thing, but running or, more accurately, slipping and sliding on an uneven, sloping track that has been turned into a sloppy, mushy mess of mud is quite another. And the mud run is a team sport, so in addition to a test of fitness, it is a test of teamwork. Running in the mud alone is not enough, one must also sing cadence while running and not get out of sync with one’s fellow cadets. This was the third year for the San Bernardino Valley College Extended Academy mud run and class #34 proved itself up to the task. The extended academy students are people who cannot afford to give up their day job while training for a law enforcement career. Instead, they attend evenings and weekends for 52 weeks — over twice as long as the Basic Academy. Also, unlike most cadets in the basic group, these are people who have not yet been provisionally hired by a law enforcement organization. That said, graduates of the Extended Academy are Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certified following graduation, so they qualify to pursue openings in the field.