Seven Mile Bridge Run
Encyclopedia
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. 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 Key Vaca
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 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.
Entry to the race has been described as a postal lottery, with demand for places far outstripping the 1,500 spots available, restricted due to safety reasons. Each year, applicants must send 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 are from the South of Florida
and the Keys
themselves. Ben Miller won the race this past year becoming the youngest to win the event.
Seven Mile Bridge
The Seven Mile Bridge is a famous bridge in the Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It connects Knight's Key in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys...
run is an annual race held in the Florida Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
by the Marathon Runners Club. The race is run as a benefit for youth activities in Marathon, Florida. The event was first held in 1982 to commemorate the completion of the Florida Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
bridge rebuilding program. The bridge, one of the longest segmental bridges in the world, spans the channel between Key Vaca
Key Vaca
Key Vaca is an island in the middle Florida Keys, located entirely within the borders of the city of Marathon, Florida. It is often incorrectly identified as "Marathon Key."- Geography :Key Vaca is located between Fat Deer Key and Knight's Key...
and Little Duck Key
Little Duck Key
Little Duck Key is a small island in the lower Florida Keys.U.S. 1 crosses the key at approximately mile marker 40, just west of the Seven Mile Bridge...
.
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
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
therefore have 1 hour 30 minutes to traverse the bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
, 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
School bus
A school bus is a type of bus designed and manufactured for student transport: carrying children and teenagers to and from school and school events...
. A post-race party follows after the finishing runners are returned to the starting area by bus.
Entry to the race has been described as a postal lottery, with demand for places far outstripping the 1,500 spots available, restricted due to safety reasons. Each year, applicants must send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Marathon Runners Club before a specified deadline
Time limit
A time limit or deadline is a narrow field of time, or particular point in time, by which an objective or task must be accomplished.In project management, deadlines are most often associated with milestone goals....
, 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 are from the South of Florida
South Florida metropolitan area
The South Florida metropolitan area, also known as the Miami metropolitan area, and designated the Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area by the U.S...
and the Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
themselves. Ben Miller won the race this past year becoming the youngest to win the event.