SAULT STE. MARIE — The upcoming 7 Bridges 7 Brews 5K is a celebration of what makes Sault Ste. Marie unique.
The annual 5K will take place on Saturday, July 19, with the race course crossing all of the bridges that connect the downtown island to the rest of the city. Throughout the race, every contestant will cross all seven of Sault’s bridges at least once.
The race was created by O.U.T. House Consortium six years ago as a way to raise funds for local trail projects.
“Sault Ste. Marie is an island and was created when the city dug out the canal and separated the downtown and rest of the city,” said Wilda Hopper, owner of Bird’s Eye Outfitters and event organizer. “The downtown area is really amazing and it’s really cool that it’s connected through these bridges, and that should be celebrated.”
O.U.T. House helps build and maintain trail systems in the Sault area. They have worked on many different trail systems over the years, including the ever-growing Ashmun Creek Nature Trail project.
The trail was created with the concept of people being able to enter from different points throughout the city and then exit in a completely different location. The trail system is entirely within city limits and all of the entrances are planned to be within walking distance of downtown.
To support Ashmun Creek and other projects, the 7 Bridges 7 Brews event came to life.
“It’s been popular since it started. People love running the bridges and getting that different view of the city,” said Hopper. “The intention was always to bring our community together, it’s a celebration.”
The run ends at Bird’s Eye Outfitters, where participants will get free drink vouchers to experience the seven signature beers that will be on tap. The event is partnering with Marchetti Distributing, which connected them with multiple different breweries from across the region, like Les Cheneaux Distillers. Athletic Brewing Company will be providing non-alcoholic beers.
The 5K will include prizes for the winners in each age group, as well as the island-themed costume contest. There will also be a silent auction and a raffle.
“The costume contest is always fun, we love seeing people doing the 5K while wearing a grass skirt or something like that,” said Hopper.
One thing all of the runners will walk away with this year is a unique drinking tumbler designed by a local artist specifically for the event.
The 5K will begin on the west end of the city, and runners will crisscross each bridge as they make their way east. Some participants may choose to extend the run into a 10K, but all runners will be ending at Bird’s Eye.
The Fort Street Bridge may be removed from the run this year due to ongoing construction. Updates will become available closer to the event day. The run begins at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 19 at the West Portage Avenue Bridge.
— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Sault News: 7 Bridges 7 Brews 5K in Sault Ste. Marie celebrates what makes downtown unique
Reporting by Brendan Wiesner, Sault Ste. Marie News / The Sault News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
