Some athletes spark their careers via a game-winning shot or a mind-blowing curveball that freezes a hitter in the bottom of the ninth. Fairfax County Police Lt. Bruce Blechl’s path back into competitive running was slightly different: He was chasing down a burglar.
Blechl, a longtime competitor in cross-country and distance events at the biennial World Police and Fire Games, was a runner in high school and college. But he burned out and stopped soon afterward.
In college he was “emaciated,” he joked, weighing in at a slim 140 pounds. Within four years, Blechl had shot up to 190.
Then, he got back into running by simply doing his job — running down a burglar.
He caught the perp, but “then I realized I needed to get back in shape,” he said.
And he has. Blechl has competed in the World Police and Fire Games since 1997, and was a major figure in helping bring the games to Fairfax County in 2015.
“I felt ecstatic, actually,” he said when he heard the news that the Washington area won the bid to host. “It’s been four years in the making.”
Though he’s mainly a runner, competing in the cross-country race and 5,000- and 10,000-meter races at the games, Blechl also got a unique opportunity in 2001 when he was coming off knee surgery. He said his orthopedist cleared him to rehab by riding a bicycle — which led to his participating in bike races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Despite a strong athletic background, Blechl is most excited when he’s talking up the games, especially because they will be coming to the Washington area in six years.
It’s the size and scope of the games that distinguishes them from most international competitions, he says. Indeed, this year’s games in British Columbia boasted close to 10,600 competitors, more than twice the size of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Police and Fire Games are second only to the Summer Olympics in sheer numbers for a worldwide athletic competition.
And though there are no specific entry requirements, other than serving in public safety, the games attract world-class athletes.
Once Olympians end their athletic careers, many of them go into public safety and end up competing in the Police and Fire Games, Blechl said.
“We’re tapping into that crop of talent,” he said.
He was as excited about providing “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunities for many of the competitors who may have never ventured to Washington. The 40-mile bike race and half-marathon are set to be held on the National Mall, he said, and the cross-country race will take place in and around the Manassas National Battlefield Park.
As for his events?
“I’d like to see myself get involved in triathlons,” he said, adding that his two children are about to be getting into school full time, which would give him more time to train. But Blechl said that for now, he’s happy to continue competing in the distance running events.
And chasing down burglars during his day job.
