Scenic Key Largo Bridge Run to Attract Runners and Walkers Dec. 7

Runners and walkers of all ages can compete in a scenic bridge race Saturday, Dec. 7, high above the Upper Florida Keys and the southeastern edge of the Florida Everglades.

The 14th annual First State Bank Key Largo Bridge Run offers stunning land and water vistas and a physical challenge in the Keys’ typically balmy December conditions.

The timed 5k run/walk is to start and end on the access road to Anchorage Resort and Yacht Club, just off the Jewfish Creek Bridge at mile marker 107.8. Runners and walkers are to travel back and forth across the 65-foot-high bridge, considered the entryway to the Florida Keys, that is part of the Overseas Highway connecting mainland South Florida to Key Largo.

Participants can pick up race packets from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, at Key Largo’s First State Bank, mile marker 97.6. Packets will also be available at the starting line beginning at 6 a.m. the morning of the race.

The race is to start at 7:30 a.m. for both runners and walkers.

Many racers are attracted to this event by the panoramic morning views of Lake Surprise, Blackwater Sound and vistas of the eastern Everglades and Upper Keys that are visible from the course.

A participant pre-party is set for 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, at The Catch Restaurant and Bar, mile marker 102 oceanside. Entrants are encouraged to attend to meet other runners and walkers, and to get the latest event information from organizers.

Friday evening, Dec. 6, Italian Food Company, located in the median at 98070 Overseas Highway, is to welcome race participants with dinner specials on select pizza and pasta dishes.

On the morning of the race, due to limited on-site parking, participants and spectators are encouraged to use the free parking and shuttle service at Key Largo School, mile marker 104 oceanside. Pre-race shuttles are to depart from the school between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., and travel from the finish line back to the school between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.

The awards ceremony is scheduled immediately after the race at the Anchorage. Awards await the top three male and female overall finishers, masters male and female finishers, and the top three finishers in different age groups. Each participant earns a medal on completion.

Several food trucks are to be on site during the awards ceremony. A post-race celebration is to follow at The Catch Restaurant and Bar.

Registration is $55 per adult participant through Oct. 31 ($60 after that date) and $40 per person for those age 17 and under. Online registration is open, and the first 500 registrants are to receive a commemorative T-shirt.

Two host hotels in Key Largo have special participant rates — Anchorage Resort and Yacht Club, and Bayside Inn at 99490 Overseas Highway — and racers should call the properties to request them.

Event information and registration: keylargobridgerun.com

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