Wilmington Police officers have trained for plenty of scenarios. But even they can't be completely prepared for what they face on Sunday afternoon.

After weeks of training, 11 department members will brave an unknown course laid out across Amesbury Sports Park during the Spartan Race, a grueling obstacle course designed to physically challenge its participants.

Butch Alpers, Dan Cadigan, Jon Carlson, Joe Desmond, Christopher Dindo, Anthony Fiore, Riley McCue, David McCue, Pat Nally, Eric Palmer, Brian Hermann, and Walter Varey make up the Wilmington contingent in the race which takes off at 1 p.m. There were also members of the Fire Department who participated in the race.

“You really don’t know what type of surprises they have in store until you show up,” Desmond told Patch in July. “You can’t really practice because you don’t know what it’ll be like, so that makes it fun. There’s no way to cheat. They’ll throw it at you and you have to be ready for it.”

One hundred percent of the proceeds will go directly to benefit the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, and organization that helps families of Special Operators from all branches of service who have been wounded or killed in action.

“What we are doing in taking an afternoon and running a race pales in comparison to the sacrifices that these men and women have made,” said Desmond. “But if we can somehow give back for the sacrifices they made, it’s clearly a worthwhile effort.”