Thursday, January 24, 2008

B2B Not To Be

The site of the finish of the extreme--i.e. sideways snow and freezing rain and gale winds in April--Bridge to Bridge run, as well as the official race in 2007.

Let's get a couple of apologies out of the way. First, hate to go for an extended period of radio silence here. Second, all indications are that there will be no Bridge-to-Bridge Half-Marathon in 2008.

Last year saw a great runner turnout for a first-year event and folks left happy and excited for an annual event. My hope is that that can/will still be a reality, but it won't be on the calendars for April 08. The Museum is (rightly) focusing efforts, time, and resources to build Bay Day, on April 19, as well as other events throughout the year. Many on the staff and volunteers are sad to let it go, but it is difficult for an understaffed non-profit to really focus on a road race with so much going on.

Happy to speak further to anyone who has questions. In the meantime, I'd love to see a mess of local runners due an informal training run out of it, perhaps even a Fat Ass rules (no entry fee, no finisher's prizes, no whining) half and/or full marathon run this spring.

The other thought I had about trying to keep the race alive, would be to work with the St. Michaels school sports boosters group, who holds the 5K race during Fall into St. Michaels weekend, last in October. We could work with them to move the B2B run, and help them make it all happen. The trouble with that idea is that the fall is a busy race schedule--Baltimore, Marine Corps, Army 10-miler, etc. Curious to hear thoughts from folks on any front, including turning it into a fall race.

In the meantime, there is all the more reasons to get out there for the Adkins Arboretum trail 10K and the Oxford Day 10K in April. I look forward to being able to actually run the Adkins race.

Managed a cold, windy 54 minute, 20 second run on Sunday, running with Mike Keene on his Wittman home course, which put us through fields and right on the water on a 25 degree, probably more like 10 degree with windchill morning. Absolutely fantastic. Winter running gives life--cold life, but eye-opening, heart-pumping, WHHOO! life. Hope to find more of those in short order here.

1 comment:

Nancy Toby said...

Boo! So sorry to hear that. :-(