Four weeks later than initially planned, the 2019 Starlight Runway Run took flight Saturday evening at the Yarmouth airport, with 185 people taking part.
This was the third year for the event, which was to have been held Sept. 7 but was postponed due to Dorian and pushed back to the first weekend of October.
The change resulted in some people not making it the start line in Yarmouth for Saturday’s event, although they still had a chance to be a part of it.
“With the rescheduled date we had approximately 45 participants opt to take our ‘virtual option,’ meaning we provided them with the race kit and finishers’ medal so they could participate on their own schedule,” said Candice Phibbs, the Starlight Runway Run’s race director. “In total, we consider this 230 active passengers for the 2019 event.”
Yarmouth’s newest running event is unique in that it takes place at night – the start time for Saturday’s run was 8:30 p.m. – and it is held on an airport runway.
“We had a wonderful evening for the run on Oct. 5,” Phibbs said. “The weather was clear and crisp, making the airport runway lights shine bright, not to mention the ‘passengers’ lit up the runway wonderfully with light-up gear provided in the race kits and additional light-up materials that they brought themselves.”
The Yarmouth Flying Club also opened up the club hangar this year so participants in the run could view the private planes stored inside. Two planes were out on the taxiway as well. It was a great addition to the event, Phibbs said.
She cited too the Starlight Runway Run’s partnership with Yarmouth Ground Search and Rescue.
“Their volunteers go above and beyond to make the event a great one and, along with the organizing committee, we strive to continue to put on a fantastic event year after year,” Phibbs said.
Organizers hope to get feedback from their participants – or, as they prefer to call them, their “passengers” – through a post-event survey.
“We are currently trying to decide whether our 2020 event should return to early September or remain in October,” Phibbs said.
