St. Petersburg, Fla. (970 WFLA) - It was not the usual traffic jam on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge Sunday morning, as thousands of runners took over its northbound lanes for a charity 10K footrace.
More than 7,000 people paid $75 apiece to take part in the first Sunshine Skyway 10K, and officials closed the northbound lanes from early Sunday morning until about 10 a.m. to accommodate the event. Runners braved temperatures in the low 50s as the race began.
Proceeds benefit the Armed Forces Families Foundation. Race organizers say that they will also reimburse the state for lost tolls and revenue the fishing piers did not make because of the closure. Southbound lanes from St. Petersburg to Manatee County stayed open to auto traffic.