29,000 people lace up for Gasparilla Distance Classic half-marathon
Tens of thousands run in Gasparilla Distance Classic
FOX 13’s Regina Gonzalez takes us to the Gasparilla Distance Classic Half Marathon, which brought about 29,000 runners to Tampa on Sunday.
TAMPA - The crowd cheered as Meaghan Strum of Halifax, Nova Scotia was the first female racer to cross the finish line in the Gasparilla Distance Classic half-marathon, right behind the first male finisher, Grant Colligan of Lakewood, CO.
"It felt amazing," Strum said. "I didn't know what to expect today. When training at home, I had to use a treadmill because there's been a lot of snow. So, you don't have a really good feel for where you're at. And today was a delight. It was a wonderful day."
Meaghan Strum of Halifax, Nova Scotia was the first female racer to cross the finish line.
Strum was one of hundreds of participants who happily traveled from colder parts of the world to run down Tampa's beautiful Bayshore Blvd.
It's something she did with a friend from a run club back home, while they visited the city for the first time.
"I love it, it's a great place," Strum said. "There is sunshine, there's palm trees. Everyone's been really friendly, and any day that you can get out and test yourself athletically, but also feel like you're part of something special, can't go wrong with that. That's wonderful."
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Through the huffs and puffs, the feeling was mutual among other racers as they, too, proudly stepped over the finish line.
29,000 people laced up for the Gasparilla Distance Classic half-marathon on Sunday.
Local perspective:
The 48th annual Gasparilla Distance Classic is more than just a single race.
When you combine all the events, more than 29,000 people laced up their sneakers for a great cause.
29,000 people laced up for the Gasparilla Distance Classic half-marathon on Sunday.
That's because money raised through the weekend goes back to several local charities, like Big Brothers Big Sisters Tampa Bay Chapter.
"We support one-to-one mentor relationships in our community," explained BBBS spokesperson, Chad Mitchell. "So all the money that's raised in this particular raise is going to go back to those mentor relationships and it will also take kids off our waiting list so we're so excited for the Gasparilla Distance classic and all it does for Tampa Bay."
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The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Regina Gonzalez.
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