Race Weekend Guide
Here is your guide to race weekend. We will continually be updating the information to help you have a great experience, but if you don't see something you are looking for, email us at lmcubridgerun@gmail.com.
Race day location: 731 Front Avenue NW, Grand Rapids, MI 495054
This is just west of the 6th Street Bridge
Packet Pickup
- Friday, September 15 from 4pm to 6pm
Gazelle Sports (3930 28th St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512) - Saturday, September 16 from 11am to 12:30pm
LMCU Ballpark (4500 W River Dr NE, Comstock Park, MI 49321) - Sunday, September 17th from 6am to 7:30am
Start/Finish Area
Once you have your bib, take it to any Grand Rapids Gazelle Sports location race weekend and receive 10% off your purchase!
*If you are a virtual participant, your packets will be mailed to you. We plan to put them in the mail on Saturday, 9/16.
**Someone else CAN pick up your bib, they simply just need to know your first & last name.
Parking
Remember, our venue this year is just west of the 6th Street Bridge (use 731 Front Ave NW, Grand Rapids, 49504 in your GPS for our physical location).
Street parking (unless noted by a sign) is FREE on Sundays and there is plenty of it in this section of the city that is within an easy walking distance to our start/finish area (roughly .25 miles). We recommend anything east of the Grand River (as our start/finish area will get congested) or north of 6th Street if you plan to park on the west side of the Grand River.
The City of Grand Rapids also has this parking map available. On the map, the 601 Ottawa Lot, DeVos Place parking ramp, Government Center Ramp, & Scribner Lot are all good options that range from .25 to .5 miles from the start area and would allow you to easily leave without having to wait for the race to conclude. The ramps are fee-based, but the surface parking lots owned by the City should be free on Sundays.
The Route
You can view the map of our routes by clicking on the distance, 5K | 10 Mile.
There is no need to memorize the route. It will be marked and led by cyclists and guided by course marshalls. We will have aid stations at the Ford Museum (roughly 1.25 and 2.25 miles), on Monroe at miles 4 & 9 (Mile 4 will have the Gu), and in Riverside Park at roughly miles 5.5 & 7.5. All aid stations will have water and Gatorade.
We recognize that the maps aren't easy to print, so we have switched to a more interactive map that is more mobile-friendly.
Race Day Timeline
- 6:30 am: Packet Pickup Starts
- 7:50 am: Opening Ceremonies Start
- 7:55 am; National Anthem
- 8:00 am: Start of the 5K & 10 Mile (combined start)
- 9:00 am: 5K Award Ceremony
- 10:00 am: 10 Mile Award Ceremony
- 1:00 pm: Age Group Awards at Downtown Gazelle Sports Store for those who missed them
How Do the Virtual Events Work?
We have been providing this option since 2017 as a way participants can keep the Bridge Run tradition alive, even if they aren't able to join us on race day. The first rule of participating in a virtual event is to make it fun! After that, there are no rules. We will be sending out your shirt & medal on the Saturday of race weekend, there is no need to pick it up. You can run your Bridge Run when and where works best for you, just remember to HAVE FUN. If you want to post your time and/or a picture to the website, you can. However, this is not required.
2023 Participant Shirt & Finisher Medals
Everyone who registered before August 30 will receive a shirt! Anyone who registered after that date is subject to the remaining sizes we have left (we did order extra). If you were able to select the size you wanted when you registered, there is a good chance we will have this size for you at any of the packet pickup options.
Shirt Coming SOON
Gear Check
This year our gear check area will be self-serve. We will have bags & bins to put your items in. As with other years, we recommend you do not leave anything of value with us. We recommend you either run with items like your phone or leave them in the car.
ArtPrize
ArtPrize started on Wednesday, which means you will have an opportunity to see many of the outdoor pieces as you participate on Sunday, but also plan to stay downtown on Saturday after you pick up your bib or on Sunday after the race. You can see all of their installations at https://www.artprize.org/.
FAQs
Are strollers allowed?
Yes. We love seeing families and the next generation of track stars out and active together. We just ask when pushing a stroller you are aware of your surroundings and other runners.
Do I need to register my child?
Only if you would like them to have an official time, shirt, & medal. Otherwise, they are free to ride along in the stroller.
What does the Bridge Run support?
The Bridge Run's first goal is to provide our participants with a great race day experience while helping get the community out & active. The Bridge Run is owned and operated by RunGR, which is a running club in Grand Rapids. Profits from the Bridge Run help fund RunGR's operations. Additionally, for the last several years we have been able to donate over $10,000 to local school groups (who volunteer) and non-profits that focus on helping get people out and active. Namely, No Surrender Running Club & myTeam Triumph. Both of which you will see on race day. We work hard to balance keeping the participant prices low, while providing everyone a great experience.
Can someone pick my bib up for me?
Yes! They simply need to know your first & last name.
Will you have merchandise for sale on race day?
No, but you can purchase the items from our store and we will pay for the shipping!
https://www.thebridgerun.com/Race/Store/MI/GrandRapids/theBridgeRun
Are dogs allowed?
Only official service dogs.
How many aid stations are on the course? What is provided at them?
All of our aid stations will have water and Gatorade available at them. Here is where they approximately fall on the course:
-1.3 miles
-2.2 miles
-4 miles (this station has Gu packets)
-5.4 miles
-7.5 miles
-9 miles
Special Promotion
Elite Sports: https://www.elitesports.com/collections/brazilian-jiu-jitsu-bjj-gis
Born Tough: https://www.borntough.com/collections/mens-workout-shorts
Will the course be marked?
Yes, the course will be marked. We will have lead and sweeper cyclists. Additionally, the City of Grand Rapids will be handling the road closures and where there are key turns, we will have course marshalls stationed to help guide you.
Where should my family cheer?
We recommend looking at the course map (note, the 5K is the first 3 miles of the 10 Mile route that we linked) to determine the best place for your family to try and see you. There are a lot of places to park along the route that won't interfere with the race.
What time does the 5K start? The 10 Mile?
Both races start together at 8am. The first 3 miles are all run together.
What pace groups do you have?
We are excited to again offer our pacer program to help get YOU to your race day go. With both races starting together and being on the course for the first 3 miles, the pacer program works for the 5K too. Our pace groups start out at a 7 minute mile pace and go every 30 seconds (ie: 7:30, 8:00, 8:30) to a 12 minute pace. The 12 minute pace is a 2 hour 10 Mile.
