On April 30, more than 36,000 runners took part in the United States’ largest 10-mile race, The Independence Blue Cross Broad Street Run.
Although heavy rain persisted, the race went on, beginning at Broad Street and Fisher Avenue and ending at Lot K of the Lincoln Financial Field.
At this year’s race, for the first time, anyone who identified as non-binary could race and receive awards in their own category. Typically, the race takes place during the first weekend in May, but was moved to avoid conflict with the upcoming Phillies game, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Runners also raised money by participating on behalf of a charity.
Megan Christman, a 36-year-old kindergarten teacher ran the race for her 15th consecutive year. In the past, she completed the race rain or shine and while pregnant.
“When I was pregnant with my daughter, I really took my time and I tried not to push myself too much and I wound up finishing,” Chrisman said. “My husband ran with me that year too, but I was like 26 weeks pregnant with her when I ran and that was awesome.”
William McCormick, a 2022 bioengineering alumnus and a biotechnician at Merck, was supporting his brother, also an alumnus, who was participating. McCormick cheered alongside Temple’s Diamond Band and Temple Cheerleading as runners passed the university.
“It’s just a happy event, all the endorphins pumping and everything, like everyone working hard and stuff, and it’s just like a family experience for us really, like my sister, she’s still going to Temple, both my brothers graduated from here too,” McCormick said.
Andrew Berlinski, a 26-year-old home refurbisher and remodeler from Forked River, New Jersey, enjoyed the race course, but seeing the finish line came as a relief.
“It was kind of a relief I didn’t really think it was a finish line until I started seeing everybody start to slow down then I’m like, alright, I’m gonna start slowing down now,” Berlinski said.
Although the rain made the course difficult, it didn’t dampen the spirits of the runners.
“It’s very different from any other race in Philly because I feel like there’s people all the way from the start all the way through the finish, there’s someone on the sidelines cheering you on,” Christman said. “Like other races they do in Philly, there’s dead spots, you know, where you just don’t see anybody, it’s not like that for Broad Street.”
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