RIVERVIEW PARK — On May 30, more than 200 runners gathered at Legion Park to compete in Brighton Height’s inaugural Li’l Bridgey 5K, capping months of anticipation with a charming view of Riverview Park.
The 5K, which started and ended at the Davis Avenue pedestrian bridge, was created by Li’l Swervy Run Club organizers Patrick Sanders and Benjamin Cole in their first attempt at planning an official running event.
According to Sanders, the duo originally planned for 150 runners, but after selling out in just two weeks, they increased the total to 250 to include runners from outside the Northside area. For having their event sell out twice, Sanders remarked on his lack of nervousness during the planning stage.
“Looking back on it, I’m like, why didn’t we freak out more?” Sanders said in an interview with The Chronicle.
Instead of medals, runners received painted rocks from community group Brighton Heights Rocks!, who hide painted rocks throughout the area for scavenger hunts, a local tradition that began during the pandemic, according to Sanders.
“That [the rocks] was what we thought from the beginning, “ Sanders said. “Folks do that in the neighborhood, hiding rocks or putting them out … so people see something pretty on their walk. It was a way to leave a message to your neighbors saying that you know we’re still here.”
After passing through the bridge, runners headed to Riverview Park and raced around the Allegheny Observatory before heading back to the starting point. Sanders and Cole’s choice to take this route traces back to their time at the Run Club, as the group frequents the bridge during their runs.
“That’s just what we happen to run, at run club like once a week at least,” Sanders said. “So we’re like, okay, we’ve done this before, we know it’s difficult for a 5K to run it, but it’s also very easy to get around … and also it’s really pretty.”
Another reason for the Davis Avenue trail was to increase accessibility for runners, according to Cole.
“We didn’t want to mess with a lot of traffic,” Cole said after the event. “We didn’t want to mess with buses, because we kind of promoted neighborhood folks to take buses in, and we didn’t want to inconvenience that for people.”
Runners appeared to enjoy the route, though they do view Pittsburgh’s hilly valleys as difficult, especially for new runners. One runner, Mandy Mc-Fadden, particularly enjoyed the view of Riverview Park on her trip.
“The uphill climb is tough, but it’s worth it when you get to the top of the observatory,” McFadden said. “You get to look down and see the beautiful Riverview Ave, and then it’s a nice downhill walk the whole rest of the way.”
With the run a success, Sanders and Cole are making big changes for next year’s race. Sanders said he and Cole plan on increasing the runner cap to 300 people, but aren’t interested in going further than that. He’s also considering having the award ceremony take place at the bridge, instead of Legion Park.
Cole didn’t have any immediate changes he could think of after the race, but is grateful for the race’s success and excited to start planning for next year.
“Brighton Heights is such a wonderful neighborhood…so it’s really nice to come together for a great event like this,” Cole said.
For updates on next year’s race, visit runsignup.com/Race/PA/Pittsburgh/TheBrightonHeightsLiLBridgey5K
