TEXARKANA -- The lower 40s temperatures, coupled with fairly decent February skies, helped successfully relaunch the Run the Line Half Marathon into its 14th year, Sunday.
With COVID-19 having knocked out last year's run, this year's event still managed to attract a respectable 465 participants, with hopes for next year's run to double the runners on the 13-mile course.
Just as the runners collected at the starting line at the West Broad Street and Texas Boulevard intersection, Texarkana, Arkansas City Manager Jay Ellington and Texarkana, Texas City Manager David Orr, gave the race a joint-shotgun blast for it's lift off.
With the initial run starting in 2008, Sunday's race continued the fundraising efforts by Partnership for the Pathways -- a local nonprofit organization that finances the construction and maintenance of recreational trails on both sides of Texarkana.
Apart from local runners, this year's participants included people from 12 states including Mississippi, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and New York -- as well as some from Germany.
Prior last year's COVID-19 cancellation, the 2020 race drew upwards 0f at least 780 participants, with 2019's race contributing 690 -- well exceeding the event's 2008 initial debut of 130 runners.
Along with drawing running enthusiasts, Run the Line organizer Julie-Ray Harrison said that since the event's 2008 inception, these foot-functions have collectively raised more then $250,000 for the Twin-Cities' recreational trail maintenance, improvement and extension for walkers, joggers and bicyclists.
"This 14th Annual race marks the first year of our rebuild," Harrison said. "Actually the fact that COVID-19 knocked us out of 2021 may not have really made that much difference -- because on the day in February we had Run the Line scheduled it snowed and we had an ice storm."
As for the proceeds themselves, Harrison said they are collected largely from runner registration, along with sponsorships by local organizations and businesses.
As in the 2020 race, Atlanta, Texas, resident John Baker was the overall winner Sunday, with a time of 1 hour and 12 minutes, while local resident Julia Webb came in as top female runner with a score of 1 hour and 24 minutes.
Frank Wright of Shreveport, was the oldest runner, at age 78.