MARATHON, Florida Keys – The Seven Mile Bridge Run, one of the most scenic and iconic footraces over the longest bridge in the Florida Keys, attracted 1,500 participants on Saturday, April 5. Runners and walkers from 5 to 88 years old lined up before dawn to compete for the fastest time to traverse the breathtaking Overseas Highway in the 44th annual Seven Mile Bridge Run.

Hometown winner, Owen Allen, 24, of Key West, was first across the finish line with a time of 41 minutes and 3 seconds. 

Joanna Stephens, 30, of Dallas, Georgia, completed the course in 44:15 to win the women's division for the third consecutive year. 

Finishing second overall for the second year in a row, was 17-year-old Marathon High School distance runner Vaclav “Vance” Bursa of Big Pine Key, Florida with a time of 42:27. He was the winner of this race in 2023. He was followed in third place by last year's winner, Collin Wainwright, 29, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with a time of 42:39. Wainwright had won this race three other times in 2021, 2022, 2024. 

Anne DenOtter, 28, of Tavernier, Florida, came in second in the women's division for the second year in a row, with a time of 47:55. Key West, Florida, resident Cayalaa Makimaa, 18, placed third with a time of 50:12. 

The course record, set in 1998 by former Florida resident Paul Marmaro, remains at 32:57 and has yet to be broken.

The race began in 1982 to celebrate the opening of the new Seven Mile Bridge, which was rebuilt to replace the original one Henry Flager built in 1912 as a railroad. The race was so well received, that community and state transportation leaders decided to make it an annual event.

Each year, the run closes the span between the Middle and Lower Keys to vehicular traffic for three hours Saturday morning. Race organizers and Keys officials publicized the event well in advance to minimize traffic problems, according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

The annual race, capped at 1,500 runners each year, draws competitors from around the United States and other countries including Austria, Germany, and France. But securing a spot in this highly coveted race is even more competitive than running in it. In fact, online registration fills up in mere minutes of opening making it one of the most popular running events in the southeastern United States. 

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