The Thrifty Runner: Across the Bay 10k Race Report

I ran my last race almost two weeks ago now on November 9, 2014. It was the Inaugural Across the Bay 10k.

That being said, I was shocked by how well run the race was for an inaugural race! The race across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge had been a Maryland tradition. Up until a couple of years ago it was run by the MTA (Maryland Transportation Authority) but the costs went up too much, and it was riddled with problems since they had to keep cancelling it due to construction on the bridge or the weather. This race is now run by a private company, that hired Dave McGillivray, who runs the Boston Marathon.

This race was definitely run differently than others I've participated in (I'm up to 16 races at this point.) For one thing, they tried to encourage carpooling to the race by having people pay $10 for parking. (Having run in the Baltimore running festival, this was nothing new, but for most races I have not had to pay for a space.) Most interestingly, the race was going to be cupless. Yes, not a single paper cup on the course. For me, it worked out well since I used a water bottle I could strap to my hand. They also had accommodations for those who may have forgotten, since the water stations could either refill your bottle or you could drink from it like a water fountain!

I was more involved in this race than others I've participated in. I was able to run it because a friend wasn't able to make it, so I bought her bib and got a ride with another who was already going. For those of you who don't know, I'm involved with a group called Team in Training that raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. (I raised money for them to get entry into the DC Nike Women's Half Marathon this past April. More on this later.) They put out a plea for volunteers to help at the expo, so I signed up for helping with packet pickup since I didn't have much else to do that week.

Packet pickup went very smoothly not only for me, but for everyone else. While I was there, there were hardly any lines for anything--packets, shirts, or the booths at the expo portion. My only complaint was that the whole thing was outside at the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis. It was VERY windy that day, and I was freezing the whole time since I didn't wear too many layers because most expos are inside. The expo portion was a little small, but for an inaugural race it had all the usual vendors--a couple of local running stores and other local vendors along with the nonprofit organizations working in conjunction with the race. (They had 4 fundraising groups raising money for entry to the race: Team in Training, Save the Bay Foundation, Bosom Buddies, and the Yellow Ribbon Fund.)

Gorgeous morning for a run!

The day of the race, my friend and I left Columbia at about 5:45 in the morning. (I am totally not a morning person, but I drank some cherry limeade nuun with caffeine on the drive there and I perked right up!) My wave was scheduled to start at 8:45am, and my friend's was at 8:30. They recommended getting on the shuttle bus about an hour beforehand...but we walked to the staging area at 7am, right as the entire race started. We were ready to just hang out for another couple of hours until somebody with the race told people to just go ahead and run. We looked at each other and decided to have one last bathroom break and get in the corral. We ended up starting in the first wave of runners and we both finished shortly after we should have started originally.

Water stops and Portajohns on the bridge!

The race itself was run wonderfully! There were two water stops on the bridge with portajohns. There were plenty of police and medics along the bridge. In fact I saw somebody fall in the last mile (it looked like they tripped on the rumble strip) and it happened right in front of a medic who was able to help them immediately.

Mid-Race picture

The course was challenging for the first two miles, but fun because of the fantastic views. The first 1.7 miles is a 3% incline, but the rest is a downhill run with a few smaller inclines but nothing like that first incline.

My medal and bib post-race!
The medal is going to fit into next year's medal like a puzzle piece.

Afterwards we got our medal, bottles of water, the chance to get our picture taken in front of a backdrop, a bag with snacks and handed a banana. There was an after party, and lots of booths selling food (I bought some awesome kettle corn from Calvert County Kettle Corn.) They also of course had finisher gear that said "I came, I saw, I beat the bridge!" on shirts, hats, stickers, etc. (I didn't find anything I had liked.)

Pre-Race Picture with the Bay Bridge

Given the chance, I would do this race again in a heartbeat. It was a gorgeous morning for a race, I felt no rush to finish (I actually nearly PR'd!) and it was challenging but also a lot of fun. The view was amazing. I grew up driving over that bridge every summer to get to the beach but actually running on the bridge was a great experience. It was also awe-inspiring seeing all the runners on the bridge on the shuttle back to the parking lot.