Ross Bridge 8K and Health Expo
Ross Bridge Village Center 2101 Grand Avenue, Hoover, Alabama
Alabama Teen Challenge is moving its Ross Bridge 8K and Health Expo back to Labor Day weekend this year, after what organizers said was lackluster attendance last year
The 4.97-mile race formerly was held on Labor Day weekend, but organizers thought they might be missing potential runners who traveled for the holiday, so they moved it to the second Saturday in September last year, said Rachel Roberts, an Alabama Teen Challenge life coach who serves as race and expo coordinator.
However, they had only about 250 runners and about 500 people in total attendance, Roberts said. “We’ll never do that again,” she said.
This year’s race is Sept. 2. Labor Day weekend is the opening weekend for college football, but the race and expo is in the morning and should be over by the time games get started, Roberts said.
On-site registration starts at 7 a.m., and the 8K begins at 8 a.m. People can register in advance at active.com under the key words “Ross Bridge.”
The race starts in the Ross Bridge Village Center and winds through six of the Ross Bridge neighborhoods. The course includes some trails and ends at the vintage train station in the village center.
Medals will be given for the top three finishers in each age group, plus grand prizes for the top male and female. The event also includes entertainment, inflatables and games for kids, and health and wellness vendor booths.
Roberts said this is the largest fundraiser for Alabama Teen Challenge, which provides residential low-cost drug and alcohol recovery programs for people of all ages. Last year’s race and expo raised more than $20,000, she said. This is the ninth year for the event.
