High Bridge Half & 5K set to run September 6th

The Second Annual High Bridge Half & 5K linking Farmville Downtown to High Bridge has been set for a 7:30 a.m. start on Saturday, September 6, 2014. Expected to draw up to 500 long distance and 5K runners, this year’s race is being produced by Farmville Downtown Partnership and High Bridge Trail State Park with the generous support of CENTRA Southside Community Hospital.

The Half Marathon runners will leave High Bridge Plaza at 7:30 a.m. The runners will follow the out-and-back course from the plaza across the High Bridge to the turnaround point 6.55 miles from the start. At 8 a.m., the 5K race will take runners along the course to its turnaround point 1.55 miles from the Plaza. Chip timing for the 2014 race is being provided by Riverside Runners of Lynchburg.

“We were really excited with the response we had for our 2013 race,” Race Director Dr.  Sarah Miller said of the inaugural event. “We had 254 registered runners. Only one had to drop out at the last minute. That is an incredible response for a first run event.”

Early registration is open online until August 15th with all online registration ending September 3rd. Paper registration can be accepted until race time with on-site registration available from 7:00-7:30 the morning of the race. Please visit our website at  Hfarmvilledowntown.com/events/high-bridge-half-and-5k/ for details and to register.

High Bridge Trail State Park, opened in 2007, is a 31-mile Rails-to-Trails recreation area built around the former railroad lines that serviced the south central Virginia region. The centerpiece of the park, the High Bridge, spans the Appomattox River four miles east of Farmville. Site of one of the last battles of the Civil War, the High Bridge was opened for visitors in April, 2012. The park is part of the Virginia State Park system.

Farmville Downtown Partnership (Downtown Farmville) is a member of Virginia Main Street and an accredited member of the National Main Street Center. The 501(c)3 non-profit organization works in partnership with the Town of Farmville to facilitate revitalization of Farmville’s traditional downtown district anchored by N. Main Street. The local organization utilizes the Main Street Four Point Approach® to create a comprehensive self-help program for downtown revitalization.

For more information on the High Bridge Half & 5K or the Farmville Downtown Partnership program, contact Executive Director Helen Person at 434-392-farmvilledowntown.com, or see them on facebook.com/DowntownFarmville.

The High Bridge Half Marathon & 5K is sponsored each year by Farmville Downtown Partnership and High Bridge Trail State Park. The 2014 race is being made possible through the generous support of CENTRA Southside Community Hospital.

Runners leaving the starting point in Farmville Downtown to kick off the first High Bridge Half Marathon & 5K. Over 250 runners participated in the 2013 races sponsored by Farmville Downtown Partnership and High Bridge Trail State Park. The 2014 race is being made possible through the generous support of CENTRA Southside Community Hospital.