You can’t go back and you can’t stand still.
Late sunrises, early sunsets, impromptu cold fronts and surprisingly blustery days can make it hard to get out the door for a little exercise during these winters months. But right around this time each year, I notice a little uptick of people out during my morning and late afternoon jaunts that start at Queen’s Point and weave through much of our downtown streets.
Particularly, this year, the amount of runners coming out and braving the elements has been quite impressive. And I don’t see it as a result of resolutions being held on to, or some new belief in a weight-loss goal. I see folks embracing the sense of community, the untethered joy and the simple but strange connection that comes from putting one foot in front of the other while circling around familiar ground.
I’ve got to think the fast approaching, 11th Annual Neuse River Bridge Run also has a lot to do with putting people in gear. Now, a welcomed event that highlights the coming spring, the Bridge Run showcases our area’s natural beauty and thriving downtown. And while giving a platform for our people’s generosity and active spirit, it’s also a good excuse to throw an early morning party.
The race offers three course options based on distance, featuring a Half Marathon and 10K that both start with a stunning and unique perspective of an eastern Carolina sunrise, while participants trek across the Neuse River Bridge. Meanwhile, the 5K circles through a nice route in downtown while offering up great sightlines during its cross of the Alfred Cunningham Drawbridge.
Presently, the race sits right in the sweet spot of what I look for in an organized run. While teeming with great athletes and new participants every year, it never feels so overcrowded that you lose your place in it. There’s no qualifications, no corrals based on your estimated finish time, or really any expectation at all, outside of getting up and getting out there.
The Bridge Run benefits six local charities that work to better the quality of life for residents in Eastern North Carolina. Those charities include; RCS, Meditation Center of Eastern North Carolina, Craven Arts Council & Gallery, Merci Clinic, Twin Rivers YMCA, and the Craven Community College Foundation.
By Steve Gilgo
Registration is open now at www.bridgerun.org. The Neuse River Bridge Run is March 23, 2019.