SOMERS POINT — It was unseasonably warm and sunny with a light breeze Saturday morning when more than 300 participants set out to cross the causeway during the 26th annual Trail of Two Cities race.
“This is the nicest weather we’ve ever had,” race chairwoman Jane Alvarez said. “We’ve had rainy, overcast and last year was quite frigid. We lucked out this year.”
Runners ranged in age from young — such as William Tozier, 7½, who was racing with his mother Moira — to the youth-challenged — such as Bob Ellis, 79, who was running with his daughter Jennifer Marmino.
The participants set out at 8 a.m. from the Ocean City Transportation Center at Ninth Street and Haven Avenue, crossed the Route 52 causeway with its two fixed spans traversing channels in Great Egg Harbor Bay, and ended at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park in Somers Point.
Runners gathered to bask in their success while enjoying pretzels, water and awards for the overall male and female winners as well as age-group champs.
Lorna Dragon and son Chace Dragon, 8, who took third place in his age group, were just catching their breath.
Jane Donohue and her daughter Sarah, who now lives of Austin, Texas, joined Kirsten Fasy, Liz Kerchner and Valerie Fasy of Ocean City for the annual event.
Sarah Donohue, the 25-year-old first-timer who is training for a marathon in Houston in January, said she was surprised by the warmth, which she said made it easier to run, and challenged by the bridges.
“I love running one direction, so that was pretty nice and not having to go back, but we are actually going back too,” she said. “The hills were hard — I don’t do a lot of hills in Texas.”
Alvarez, an employee of main sponsor Sturdy Savings Bank who serves as treasurer of the Somers Point Education Foundation, said the money raised through the event benefits the city’s school district, supporting things such as the annual trip to Stokes State Forest.
Alvarez said it was the 26th annual race, which she said has always been popular.
“The race shirt is key, people collect them every year,” she said.
Jen Elias, an officer with the Ocean City Police Department, ran with friends Stefan Browne and Christian Twiggs.
Moira Tozier, who has a place a summer home in Somers Point, came down with her sons William and Jimmy from Bluebell, Pa., because of the great weather.
“The weather is perfect, I am surprised there was no wind. It was beautiful running across. The water was so calm, it was awesome,” Tozier said.
Gary Schwegel, 16, took first place in the 15-19 age group and sixth place overall. He said he runs track and cross country at Pennsville High School.
“It was pretty cool,” he said of the run. “Going uphill and downhill was great.”
Friends Kirsten Horton, Kate McManus, Michelle Stelling and Beverly Wilmoth gathered for a girls weekend at Bethanne Brown’s shore house, planning to shop, walk on the boardwalk and dine out.
McManus said it was the first time any of them had competed in the event.
“It was very beautiful. We stopped along the way a bunch of times to take pictures because it was so beautiful,” she said.
“Bev was telling us to step it up, when we were uphill she was yelling at us,” Brown said.
“She got a little competitive and we had to pull her back,” Stelling added.
Ellis and Marmino were back for another cross-bay trot. He took first place in the 70+ age group and has set a goal to make it to the 80+ group next year.
The Medford resident said he has been running since his sophomore year of high school.
“I like the challenge of the bridges, I like the atmosphere — we always came to Ocean City when we were younger,” Ellis said, calling the weather perfect. “It’s great running weather.”
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff