Inaugural "Valley Forge 5-Mile Revolutionary Run" to be Held at Valley Forge National Historical Park

The Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau will sponsor the first-ever sanctioned race to be held within the boundaries of Valley Forge National Historical Park, on Sunday, April 23 at 8:30 a.m. Proceeds from the Valley Forge 5-Mile Revolutionary Run, will benefit efforts of the Friends of Valley Forge to preserve the park's 27 miles of recreational trails.

"This will become a signature event for the region," said Paul Decker, president of the Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau. "It's an historic, beautiful location and we believe it will draw runners from throughout this region and beyond, for years to come. "We also want it to be a family event, so the activities will include a family expo, one-mile youth fun run, and three-mile walk to the National Memorial Arch and back."

"Nowhere in the region is there a race with the scenic beauty of Valley Forge Park," said David Broida, Upper Merion Parks and Recreation Director and one of the run's organizers. "This is a cut above – when you run along the ridge you look out over the gorgeous landscape and you can see the Schuylkill River from the route. The feeling goes beyond running, and beyond the race."

A year ago he suggested the race to then-new Park Superintendent Mike Caldwell, who agreed immediately, setting in motion a dream Broida had long wanted to bring to reality.

"This is a win-win situation," according to Caldwell. "First of all, the benefactor of the race is the trail system which runs through the park's historic landscape. And it's also another opportunity for recreational runners, one of our core visitor groups, to both enjoy the park and embrace the idea of trail stewardship. Our discussions with recreational users have revealed their strong interest in the historical significance of the park and, in fact, the landscape itself is a large part of the encampment's story."

The Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau jumped at the opportunity to sponsor the race in place of the "Bell To Bell" Bike Ride it staged in 2004 and 2005 as part of its "Women Advancing" celebration of the 85th anniversary of Pennsylvania's adoption of the 19th Amendment extending the right to vote to American women. "While the bike ride was popular," Decker said, "we wanted to create a truly Valley Forge-unique event that also strengthened our ties with and benefited the Park."

For more information or to register for the race, log on to www.revolutionaryrun.org

The Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau, Ltd. is a private, non-profit membership sales and marketing organization which aggressively promotes the Valley Forge area and Montgomery County as a convention site and leisure visitor destination by encouraging patronage of its more than 500 member hotels, restaurants, attractions and services.

March 29, 2006   Posted in: United States SouthEast