1 minute read
Return to Normal
COVID screwed up everything, but the running universe was tilted from its axis as far as any industry in the country outside of the medical world.
With all that behind us, we are eager to bring back many of the comforts that our participants have grown to love. In many cases, it is these things that take the Baltimore Running Festival from a run and makes it into a race!
While many of the small Mom & Pop running vendors were forced from business during the dormant pandemic years, we are thrilled to be able to host a live expo at the Baltimore Convention Center this year. Some of our top sponsors have committed to attend and help to make the expo as lively as past events.
The camaraderie and excitement of the mass start is also back. Nothing gets the heart pumping as much as toeing the starting line with thousands of your new closest friends. The small 250-at-a-time waves took much of the umph out of the race experience and many of us are happy to wave bye-bye to those.
Probably the most appreciated returning element is the full blown, volunteer led water stops. Social distancing and sanitation protocols made distributing water and Gatorade to thousands in single serve cups a no-no. Not to mention the challenges of getting already hamstrung charities and organizations to staff the stop. 2022 will see the return of these smiling and cheering faces as you make your way around Charm City this year.
The past two years have a been a challenge that many race companies have been unable to survive. We are excited to be back for our 22nd year and even more thrilled to be able to bring your race experience back to a level that we enjoyed prior to 2020.
