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With 1 mile to go, these runners are focused on the finish.
Rain plagued the 2009 Broad Street Run on May 3rd, but the 23,226 finishers did not mind. This year was the first year of corrals that were organized by time. As the runners lined up at the start, you could see the serious runners towards the front, setting their watch or Garmin, making sure everything was in place. There were those runners who were out for their annual 10 miler, groups of friends, teams, and siblings with matching shirts. All types of runners were out on this rainy day.
Before the race - Mayor Nutter addressed the crowd, congratulated the 30 year participants of the event, provided some motivating words, and the gun went off. Around 25,000 runners made their way down Broad Street. It may have been drizzling, but it went unnoticed.
Mile 1 – that was fast. With the corral system this year, the roads seemed much less crowded. It was easier to settle into a pace and not have to zigzag in and out. Throughout the miles, the volunteers all smile and cheer, creating a great atmosphere. Half way through mile 3, City Hall starts to become visible. Right past City Hall is mile 6, and on the right, Governor Rendell is traditionally high-fiving runners. From here to the finish, the crowds are vast.
Mile 7 – the crowds roar and become larger as the stadiums become closer. ROCKY music is usually playing around mile 9, a key location to motivate runners. As the 9 mile marker is passed, this last mile seems to take forever. A big part of this long mile is the Navy Yard arch, which looks like a finish line. The actual finish is about a quarter mile past the Navy Yard arch. Medals are handed out every 5 years, with the first run being in 1980. Plan accordingly if you want to earn some bling for your finish!
After the race - walk through the big tent, sip some water or Gatorade, and obtain your goodie bag of local favorites – Herrs and Lance. While not the healthiest post race food, with 10 miles in the bag, it doesn’t matter!
Want to participate? Keep the first weekend in May open for 2010 and look to register starting next February.
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