If you felt a breeze and a chill in the air on Sunday, you weren’t alone. More than 12,000 people felt the same wind from the top of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge as they ran and walked in the 2022 Bay Bridge Run, a 10K (6.2-mile) course from the Bayfront Northrop Grumman campus on the Western Shore, across the eastbound span of the bridge, and finishing on the other side after a short loop on Kent Island.
The breeze wasn’t enough to deter even the fastest finishers, with male winner Tyler Muse covering the 6.2 miles in just over 30 minutes at a blistering 4:56-per-mile pace. Other participants rejoiced at avoiding Saturday’s unseasonably warm temperatures—for runners, chilly is generally better than warm. During the race, runners and walkers climb from sea level to an elevation of 200 feet before they (mercifully) come down the other side.
In addition to the 12,000-plus who crossed the finish line on Kent Island, there were more than 500 virtual participants.
Among the beneficiaries of this year’s Bay Bridge Run is Chesapeake Conservancy, who have led the campaign to have the entire Chesapeake Bay recognized by the National Park Service for National Recreation Area status, a designation that would bring key funding for water access and tourism. (See our story for a major step forward in that campaign.) Their Bay Bridge Run fundraising effort earned nearly $17,000 from 140 different donors.
Several Chesapeake Conservancy team members raised funds and took on the race, sharing photos from the top of the bridge and all along the way. Take a look below:
Sue Buyaskas
Sue Buyaskas
-Meg Walburn Viviano
