Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Enmarket Bridge race as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to find and write race reviews!”
On December 1, I ran the Enmarket Bridge Double Pump Run in Savannah, GA. This was my second road trip to Savannah for races this year. The Enmarket Bridge run run has three distances to conquer the Talmadge Memorial Bridge: 5k (1 trip over the bridge), 10k (2 trips over the bridge), and the 15k (3 trips over the bridge). The 15k runners ran the 5k and 10k races. I choose to run the 15k distance, which is also known as the Double Pump. This was my first year running this race series, so I was excited to get a bit off a hill challenge in Savannah.
Expo
The race expo was held at the Savannah Civic Center. The expo was small and packet pick up was quick and easy. The race offered a BINGO game to encourage participants to visit the vendors. Each vendor stamped your BINGO card and after collecting 20 stamps you could submit your card into a raffle to win prizes. I played BINGO and learned about new products, races, and services that were being offered by local venders.
Race Day
It was drizzling on race day. This year was second time this year that I ran a race in the rain. Since I ran the Double Pump (15K), I parked at the Savannah Convention Center for the start. Parking was plentiful and only costs $5. For the Double Pump, the first race was the 5k. At the start, walkers and runners were separated, but we all merged at the start. The 5k was delayed for a few minutes and then we were off to run across the bridge.
For the 5k, we ran across the Talmadge Ridge and finished close to the Savannah Civic Center. At the finish, Double Pump runners were directed to the designated finisher shoot so we could get ready for the 10k. I finished the 5k in 33:02.
The 10k race started about 30 minutes after the 5k. At the beginning of the 10k, we ran around the square for about a mile and then it was time to take it to the bridge. We ran across the bridge to the start of the 5k and then looped around and ran back to the finish line (the 5k and 10k had the same finish line). For me, the third time climbing the bridge was a doozy. Overall the 10k was fine and I finished in 1:12.
As an added bonus, I collected my Athlinks results and my two race times were merged for the 15k.
At the post race party we had Brunswick stew, oranges, and bananas. The best part of the race was the free trolley ride back to the convention center. I enjoyed the race and I only have two suggestions for improvements. First, I wish they had better running corrals. I spent a lot of time at the beginning of the 5k zig zagging around others. The second is to require runners with strollers to start last or ban strollers all together. I witnessed a woman that ran with a stroller with four kids nearly ran over a runner during the 5k.
I can now add Savannah to my list of cities that I have completed all the major races distances (5k-marathon).
