As spring reaches its peak, excitement is building up for the 37th Annual Navy Bay Bridge Run/Walk, scheduled to take place on May 19. The event will draw nearly 10,000 runners and walkers who will traverse the Coronado Bay Bridge, all while supporting a noble cause.
The starting point for the run will be at One Park Boulevard at Harbor Drive, between the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel and the San Diego Convention Center. From there, participants will travel south along Harbor Drive to Cesar E. Chavez Parkway, then veer east toward National Avenue before ascending and descending the Coronado Bay Bridge. The race will culminate at Coronado’s Tidelands Park.
Bridge access will be limited from approximately 4 a.m. to 11 a.m., according to Andrea McCullough, the city’s communications officer. Both directions of vehicle traffic will remain open, but at reduced speeds and there will be no access from Glorietta Boulevard. Detour signs will be posted.
The run will be held from 8 to 11 a.m. and shuttle buses, traveling from Glorietta Boulevard to the start line, will be offered for Coronado residents from 6:30-7:15 a.m.
Organized by the Navy Region Southwest Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) department, the 4-mile course offers views of San Diego’s skyline and the Pacific Ocean.
The Bay Bridge Run/Walk doubles as a fundraiser for MWR programs, benefitting over 500,000 military personnel across San Diego County’s naval bases. These include Naval Base Coronado, Naval Base San Diego, Naval Base Point Loma and Naval Medical Center San Diego.
Michelle Ricken, the supervisory recreation specialist at Naval Base Coronado and the main Navy Bay Bridge Run/Walk coordinator, said the event began as a part of Fleet Week, which has since moved to the wintertime.
“37 years ago, it was a community lesion event with Naval Base San Diego and the resident community of Coronado … generating a great working relationship,” Ricken said via email. “Outside of developing the relationship, it has been a way to raise money for the Quality of Life Programs for our sailors and their families.”
A full-day Orange Line closure is scheduled for Sunday, affecting trolley services between the San Diego County Courthouse and Encanto/62nd Street stations. To accommodate commuters, a bus shuttle service will be available, connecting the 12th & Imperial Transit Center with the Encanto/62nd Street Trolley Station.
For access to downtown trolley stations, the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System’s website encourages commuters to use the Blue Line. To reach the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel, passengers can opt for the Green Line to Gaslamp Quarter Station or any of the three trolley lines to 12th & Imperial.
At the finish line, participants will be offered complimentary transportation back to downtown.
For more information about the Navy’s 37th Annual Bay Bridge Run/Walk, visit https://www.navybaybridgerun.com/.
