Stop us if you’ve heard this before: It got a little windy out there.
For the third time in as many years, racers in the 7 Mile Bridge Run galloped against a gale, battling 25-mph headwinds in one of the country’s most scenic road races on April 13.
Familiar faces and a healthy dose of local representation topped the podiums for the 45th annual run. Repeating his 2025 performance, Key West’s Owen Allen broke the tape first overall in 42 minutes, 24 seconds, followed by Fort Pierce native Sullivan Nordheim in 42:32 and Marathon High School sophomore Tony Bursa in 42:38.
Dallas, Georgia native Joanna Stephens kept her dynasty alive atop the women’s standings, leading all female challengers for the fourth year in a row and finishing nearly four minutes ahead of the field in 45:40. Anne Dinsmore of Tavernier crossed in 49:18 for second place, with Melbourne’s Jennifer Halloran finishing in third in 51:11.
The course record for the 6.8-mile race is 32:59, set in 1998 by Paul Marmaro. In 2004, Sonja Friend-Uhl set the women’s record of 37:15. Racers are tasked each year to “Beat the Bus,” avoiding a shag bus from the Monroe County School District by crossing the line within roughly 90 minutes to allow for timely reopening of the Overseas Highway.
More than 600 volunteers, from packet pickup to start line, water station and finish line crews, combined to make the annual spectacle a success. Entry fees from a field of 1,500 runners, filled within minutes when registration opened online in January, fund thousands in donations by the Marathon Runners Club to Middle Keys schools and youth athletic organizations.
