By Lisa Mitchelllmitchell@21st-centurymedia.com @hamburgitem on Twitter
On Saturday April 22, the “Bartram Breeze” 10K, 5K or 2K Trail Races were held at the Kernsville Dam Recreation Area, Tilden Township.
Part of the Trail Race Series fundraiser for Blue Mountain Wildlife, the race is on a rails-to-trails trail which is reasonably flat and no traffic. These are out-and-back courses along the Bartram Trail starting at the Monument Parking Lot. The trail follows the scenic Schuylkill River for much of the race and shows off the mountainous scenery of northern Berks and southern Schuylkill counties.
“We had a good trio of races on Saturday morning. Everyone I talked to seemed to enjoy them and we received positive comments on the BMW Facebook page. We had a decent turnout – 54 registered and all 54 finished: 20 in the 10K, 28 in the 5K and 6 in the 2K,” said Gregg Adams, Director and Secretary, Blue Mountain Wildlife Inc. “In January we learned that the Bartram Breeze was up against the popular Lager Jogger in Pottsville on the same day, so we expected our attendance to be down a bit. And there was a bit of rain, which does tend to adversely impact attendance.”
They are hoping for better weather and attendance at the May 20th Mad Dash at the Hamburg Reservoir and the June 24th Run to the Rock starting at the Hamburg Park.
“The Trail Race Series raises money for Blue Mountain Wildlife and the Kerny. We use the funds to repair the trails, parking area, and signage at the Kerny; fund new projects (such as the new Native Plant/Butterfly Garden to be constructed at the Monument Parking Area); and keep the organization running,” said Adams. “It lets us keep the area’s existing facilities in working order and occasionally expand the facilities available to the increasing number of visitors.”
