Skyway 10k going virtual for 2021

You’ll still snag the swag, but the spectacular views will be MIA this year.

After raising nearly $2 million for military veterans and their families, the Skyway 10k will be 100 percent virtual in 2021. It’s the fourth annual run, covering 6.2 miles in service of the Armed Forces Families Foundation, and registration begins today. But there won’t be a bridge involved.

The $55 registration is open to 2,500 people, at the Skyway 10k website, and the first 2,000 of them will be permitted to bypass the always-tricky lottery system for the 2022 run (which means you’ll be guaranteed a spot, as long as you pay the additional 2022 registration fee).

In 2021, between March 7 and 31, you get to run wherever you feel most comfortable – that’s been the way of most charity runs in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. And yes, runners will still get the official T-shirt and runners’ bib, medal and certificate. And the collected fees will all go to the charity.

“We were really hoping we could still pull it together,” said team member Niki Austin. “Logistically, it’s quite a big undertaking – we thought we might be able to make it work. But unfortunately, Covid-19 numbers started to spike again and we thought ‘This just isn’t a good idea.’”

The Skyway 10k, she added, “is not an event where you can just pick a new date, given all of the circumstances surrounding closing the bridge. For us, this was our next-best solution.”

After consulting with organizers of other virtual runs around the country, the Skyway 10k organizers came to the conclusion that the spirit of the event is just as important as the location.

“We’re thrilled to do this virtual event, to both keep it alive and do something for our servicemen and women and their families,” Austin said. “So honestly it’s still a win, but we just have to find our own individual views. This time, maybe run it on the beach.”