- The inaugural Bethlehem Running Festival's first day brought a 5k and 10k race back to the Steelstacks campus and City of Bethlehem
- Runners embarked on a running tour of the city through fall foliage and braving the hills on the route
- Organizers said they are happy with the event, and excited for Sunday's half marathon
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The first annual Bethlehem Running Festival hit the starting gun early Saturday morning, with thousands of runners signed up to run the 5k, 10k and Sunday's Half Marathon events.
Runners in both the 5k and 10k took their start on South Bethlehem’s SteelStacks campus, heading west to cross the Lehigh River over the Fahy Bridge before returning.
On the way, runners braved the hills that surround Bethlehem's Main Street, making their way through the fall foliage and the remains of Bethlehem Steel, the Moravian village, Wind Creek Casino and the neighborhoods around Main Street.
Heather Mayer-Irvine was elated crossing the line as a top women's finisher in the 5k.
"I'm so happy," Mayer-Irvine said. "I ran a PR by about three seconds after three kids, so it was great. It was good to do that. I knew the day was going to be hard, and I knew if I could get to the Wind Creek side I could do it."
She said she used to work at Runners World and participated in those festivals, and that she was so happy to see the event back, hoping it becomes a staple going forward.
"All of my PRs are on this course," she said out of breath and laughing. "I guess I like pain."
"Every single person says they could never do one until the night before they sign up for their first one"Runner Erica Mitchell
Race designer Bart Yasso, who announced the racers as they crossed, said the routes are intended to highlight the various parts of the Christmas City, encouraging racers to go to local restaurants and shops, much like the other festivals in the city.
"We really want to create a festival atmosphere, not just running, but a whole weekend of running and people gathering and sharing running stories and meeting other runners," Yasso said.
"The ArtsQuest property is really set up for that. So it's about running these races, but also being part of the running community raising money for the Cancer Society."
As organizers took to shifting the signage for tomorrow's Half Marathon, they noted happiness in how the event has gone so far, getting the sense that it was memorable for those who took part and that they were excited for Sunday's events.
Later in the day Saturday, at noon, an American Cancer Society Making Strides against Cancer Walk took place, with a part of the festival's registration fees and all donations collected going to the charity.
Organized by the Pennsylvania Running Company, the event is the first major, multi-day running festival in Bethlehem since The Runners World Half and Festival last ran in 2019. They say that there are about 2,500 individual runners signed up for one or multiple of the four events, which include a half marathon relay.
Of those 2,500, many were Lehigh Valley natives, while others traveled many miles to take part.
Father-daughter duo Jean Dykes and Erica Mitchell both traveled to the race at the events together, Mitchell from Minneapolis and Dykes, a Lehigh grad, from Philadelphia. They said the race had "perfect weather" and "great spectators."
Dykes said that race was a warm-up for a 100-mile race he plans to participate in next weekend, while Mitchell noted the course's hilliness compared to runs back home for her.
"Every single person says they could never do one until the night before they sign up for their first one," Mitchell said about the half marathon. "So nobody thinks they can, but you can."
Students Julie Bonham, Owen Smith and Justin Hetrick came from Wilson School District Cross Country in Berks County in order to run their first race at this scale. They said while it was challenging, it was a good preparation for their first year running in high school next year and enjoyed racing with this many people.
"It was a little nerve-wracking at first probably but once you started running it got a lot easier I think," Bonham said. "It was a really good experience."
Some ran as groups, such as the workers at Aardvark Sports Shop and team RWB, which supports veterans.
Don Carpenter, a runner who lives in Hellertown and graduated from Lehigh, ran in a shirt from the first Runners' World Festival in 2013. While he stuck to the 5k, he said it was great seeing the races back in Bethlehem.
"I think it's great for the community," Carpenter said, noting how this and other festivals have helped make the south side a vibrant place. "I think it's great to have a race. I think the participation is always great."
"Through the blast furnaces and SteelStacks and everything - it's a really nice finish."
Sunday's races include the half marathon and half marathon relay races. A half-marathon relay also allows for a three-person team to run two five-mile legs and one 5K leg.
The half marathon begins at 8:00 a.m. at the Steelstacks and is set to finish by 11:30 a.m.
EDITOR'S NOTE: LehighValleyNews.com is the primary media sponsor of the Bethlehem Running Festival.
