Top Ten Running Experiences: Number Nine

9. The First Annual Multi-State Five-Borough Tour de Bridge Challenge 2K7

A few years ago my friend Jené ran together quite often. I can't recall when the last time we ran together was, but its been a long, long time. However, in '07 it was a different story. We started running together to motivate each other through the winter and it carried on even as temperatures warmed up. Neither of us were keen on running the same routes all the time, so we started to get creative with our runs. The Tour de Bridge Challenge was born from the monotany of running in Central Park. I dreamed up a route that took in all 5 Boroughs, 2 States, and a lot of bridges. I got my friend Kelly to design a shirt for us and we had them printed online, but unfortunately weren't delivered in time for the run.

I got off work in the early afternoon on a Saturday and met Jené at JackRabbit (where we both worked part-time). We dropped our stuff at a co-worker's apartment and then hopped on the 1 train up to the Bronx. After a long train ride, we found ourselves on the Broadway Bridge taking some pictures before running back into Manhattan. The route then went down the West Side to the George Washington Bridge where we did a quick out-and-back to nab our second state. On the way back to New York, we encountered a couple of guys riding bikes loaded with gear. Turned out they were cycling west. They had maps to the end of the Pennsylvania and were going to "wing it" from there. Their destination? Vancouver, maybe Alaska.

After leaving the GW Bridge, we followed the West Side Path down to 57th Street and cut across Manhattan to tackle the 59th Street Bridge. A few blocks before arriving at the Bridge, the sky opened up. Rain-soaked, we consulted a map once on the Queens side and ran south. We crossed the Pulaski Bridge and then sought shelter under some scaffolding to once again consult the map and figure out how to get to the Williamsburg Bridge. We wound through Brooklyn, tackled the Billyburg Bridge, and then swung around to conquer the Manhattan Bridge.

By the time we got to the Brooklyn Bridge, we were soaked through, and the rain was pounding us. There was no one else on the bridge and as the wind picked up, the rain stung as it seared our skin. We laughed and yelled out loud to combat the pain. We re-entered Manhattan and trudged south to the Staten Island Ferry. The rain abaited and we eventually boarded the SI Ferry, shivering in the cold air conditioning. Jené and I opted for hot chocolate over the planned celebratory beer while water pooled under out seats, much to the consternation of the fellow passengers. Once at SI, we jogged through the ferry station and made the return trip to Manhattan.

By the time it was all over, we had conquered two states, five boroughs, and seven bridges. We had a great time doing it, and made plans to make the run and annual event. We've never done it again.

Thanks for the great run Jené...and good luck at IMFL.