Seven Mile Bridge Run

Last updated

The Seven Mile Bridge run is an annual race held in the Florida Keys by the Marathon Runners Club. The race is run as a benefit for youth activities in Marathon, Florida. [1] The event was first held in 1982 to commemorate the completion of the Florida Keys bridge rebuilding program. The bridge, one of the longest segmental bridges in the world, spans the channel between Knight's Key and Little Duck Key.

It is one of the few races that takes place entirely over water, and actually covers a distance of 6.8 miles (10.9 km) - a little shorter than the name suggests. The local Sheriff's Department close the bridge between 6:45am and 9am, with the race kicking off at 7:30am. Runners therefore have up to 1 hour 30 minutes to traverse the bridge, and 'beat the bus' - if they can't keep up with the pace they are picked up by one of a small fleet of yellow school buses. A post-race party follows after the finishing runners are returned to the starting area by bus.

Until 2012, entry to the race was via a postal lottery, with demand for places far outstripping the 1,500 spots available, restricted due to safety reasons. Applicants sent a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Marathon Runners Club before a specified deadline, at which date the Club sends all the applications to the prospective participants in the same delivery. The first 1,500 applications they then receive back are the 1,500 runners who gain entry. As a result, most participants were from the South of Florida and the Keys. Since 2012, registration has taken place online, typically with places filling up within an hour of opening. [2]

April 21, 2012 was the first that the race was not run as planned. There were severe thunderstorms over Knight's Key during the early hours of the morning and just before the starting pistol was due to fire, the decision was taken to abandon the race rather than allow the runners on the bridge to be at risk of lightning strike. [2] [3] The 39th annual race, scheduled for March 28, 2020, was canceled due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. [4]

Related Research Articles

Boston Marathon Worlds oldest regularly run marathon

The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was inspired by the success of the first marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics. The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the world's best-known road racing events. It is one of six World Marathon Majors. Its course runs from Hopkinton in southern Middlesex County to Copley Square in Boston.

Road running

Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road. This differs from track and field on a regular track and cross country running over natural terrain.

New York City Marathon American race

The New York City Marathon is an annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 53,627 finishers in 2019 and 98,247 applicants for the 2017 race. Along with the Boston Marathon and Chicago Marathon, it is among the pre-eminent long-distance annual running events in the United States and is one of the World Marathon Majors.

Two Oceans Marathon

The Two Oceans Marathon is a 56 km / 35-mile ultramarathon and 21 km half-marathon held annually in Cape Town, South Africa on the Saturday of the Easter weekend.

The Great North Run is the largest half marathon in the world, taking place annually in North East England each September. Participants run between Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields. The run was devised by former Olympic 10,000 m bronze medallist and BBC Sport commentator Brendan Foster.

Marine Corps Marathon Annual race in the U.S. since 1976

The Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) is an annual marathon held in Washington, D.C. and Arlington, Virginia. The mission of the MCM is to promote physical fitness, generate community goodwill, and showcase the organizational skills of the United States Marine Corps.

Grandmas Marathon Iconic American road race

Grandma's Marathon is an annual road race held each June in Duluth, Minnesota, in the United States. The course runs point-to-point from the city of Two Harbors on Scenic Route 61 and continues along Lake Superior into the city of Duluth. The finish is located in Canal Park, near Grandma's Restaurant, which is next to the highly visible Aerial Lift Bridge.

St. George Marathon

The St. George Marathon is an annual marathon sporting event hosted by the city of St. George, Utah on the first Saturday in October. The first race run was in November 1977. It was originated and organized in just a few months by Sherm Miller, who worked for the Parks and Recreation Department of St. George City. It is currently the 13th largest marathon in the United States of America.

Ottawa Race Weekend Weekend of road running events

The Ottawa Race Weekend is an annual weekend of road running events held the last weekend of May in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The two-day running event includes seven races, including the Ottawa Marathon, all of which start and end at Ottawa City Hall. The marathon was first held in 1975, and is categorized as a Gold Label Road Race by World Athletics. Over 40,000 participants take part in the races each year.

Dublin Marathon Annual race in Ireland held since 1980

The Dublin Marathon is an annual 26.2 mile road marathon in Dublin, Ireland, held on the last Sunday in October. Prior to 2016, the race took place on the last Monday in October, which is a public holiday in Ireland. Held each year since 1980, the marathon had a record 22,500 registrants for the 2019 race, including over 5,000 entrants from outside Ireland.

Portland Marathon

The Portland Marathon Presented by OHSU Health is an annual sporting event which takes place on the first Sunday of October in Portland, Oregon, first held in 1972. The race consists of a full marathon as well as a half marathon. The race starts and ends at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park at Salmon Street and Naito Parkway, and includes several bridge crossings and multiple iconic landmarks in Portland. The field has reached over 10,000 runners.

The Big Sur International Marathon is an annual marathon held in California, United States along the Pacific coast. The marathon was established in 1986 and attracts about 4,500 participants annually.

Mount Marathon Race Annual mountain race in Alaska

The Mount Marathon Race is a mountain race that is run every Fourth of July in Seward, Alaska.

Barkley Marathons Ultramarathon trail race in Tennessee

The Barkley Marathons is an ultramarathon trail race held in Frozen Head State Park near Wartburg, Tennessee. If runners complete 60 miles (97 km) this is known as a "fun run." The full course is about 100 miles (160 km). The race is limited to a 60-hour period and takes place in late March or early April of each year.

Great Bristol Half Marathon

The Great Bristol Half Marathon is an annual road running event held on the streets of Bristol, UK. The route is at sea level and starts on Anchor Road outside We The Curious. Participants make their way toward Hotwells before heading under the Clifton Suspension Bridge and along the Portway toward Sea Mills before returning the same way then navigating around Cumberland Basin then along Spike Island before crossing Prince Street Bridge, circling Queen Square then heading to Castle Park via St Mary Redcliffe and Temple Circus. The final mile and a half take place in the Old City and Bristol city centre before crossing the finish line back at Anchor Road.

The Cardiff Half Marathon is an annual half marathon race held in the Welsh capital city of Cardiff, taking place in October. The event was established in 2003, initially alongside the Cardiff Marathon, however, due to the increasing popularity of the Half Marathon, the Marathon distance was dropped after 2006. The race was originally organised by the children’s charity Barnardo’s. Now organised by Run 4 Wales, the race has grown to accommodate up to 25,000 runners. Also in partnership with the race is Cardiff Council, the Vale of Glamorgan Council, the Welsh Government, Welsh Athletics and title sponsors Cardiff University.

Peachtree Road Race

The Peachtree Road Race is an American 10-kilometer run held annually in Atlanta. After being held on Independence Day from 1970 to 2019, the race was cancelled because of the COVID pandemic after originally being set for Thanksgiving. It is the world's largest 10k race, a title it has held since the late 1970s. The race has become a citywide tradition in which over 70,000 amateur and professional runners try to register for one of the limited 60,000 spots. The event also includes a wheelchair race, which precedes the footrace. In recent years, the race also has a special division for soldiers stationed in the Middle East. The race attracts some of the world's elite 10K runners and has served as both the United States' men's and women's 10K championship.

New York City Half Marathon Annual race in the United States held since 2006

The New York City Half Marathon is an annual half marathon road running race from Brooklyn's Prospect Park to Manhattan's Central Park via the Manhattan Bridge, held since 2006. It passes through or by Times Square, Grand Central, and both Grand Army Plazas. New York Road Runners (NYRR) administers the race.

Penang Bridge International Marathon Annual race in Malaysia held since the 1980s

The Penang Bridge International Marathon or Penang Bridge Marathon is an annual marathon event held at Penang Bridge in Penang, Malaysia, since 1984. It is organised by Penang State Tourism Development office (PETACH) and fully supported by the Penang State Government. It is known as the biggest run in the country. During the competition, participants run over the bridge and along a scenic coastal highway.

Newport Half Marathon annual half marathon race in the city of Newport, Wales

The AdmiralCity of Newport Half Marathon is an annual half marathon race held in the Welsh city of Newport, Wales, taking place in March. The event was established in 2013, organised by the charity St. Davids Hospice Care.

References

  1. ↑ http://7mbrun.com
  2. 1 2 "2016 Seven Mile Bridge Run Is 35th Running Of This Florida Keys Race". florida-keys-vacation.com. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  3. ↑ "Weather Forces Halt Of 7-Mile Bridge Run". CBS Miami. 21 April 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  4. ↑ "Seven Mile Bridge Run (cancelled) | Key West Events". www.athomekeywest.com. Retrieved 2022-01-30.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.