19th Annual Sombrero Beach Run Brings Runners, Families Together in Marathon

Runners and walkers braved the Florida Keys sun at Sombrero Beach in Marathon on Feb. 28, filling the beachside course for the 19th Annual Sombrero Beach Run, an event organized by the Key West Southernmost Runners that drew participants across three distances and raised proceeds for a Marathon-based nonprofit.

Living up to its motto of "come for the run, stay for the sun," the event offered a 10K starting at 8 a.m., a 5K Walk/Run beginning at 9:15 a.m., and a kids' fun run. Some competitors pushed further, braving what organizers called the 15K challenge by running both the 10K and 5K back-to-back consecutively.

In the 5K, Lucian Burns led the men's field with a time of 17:34, followed by Allan Taylor at 19:03 and Anthony Kelhower at 17:58. On the women's side, Helena Bursa took the top spot at 23:00, with Molly Joly finishing in 23:42 and Georgia Robison in 24:14. Complete 10K results and age-group winners were not immediately available.

Beyond the racing, the weekend included a Friday evening registration pizza party from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the beach, and race day featured a DJ, runners breakfast, after-race lunch, ice cold beer, custom t-shirts, and raffles. Prizes went to overall first, second, and third finishers in both events, as well as age-group winners.

Proceeds from the race support Keys Area Interdenominational Resources, a Marathon-based nonprofit that provides food pantry services, housing assistance, emergency support, and relocation assistance to Keys residents in need. The Key West Southernmost Runners have organized the event annually, with this year marking the 19th edition at Sombrero Beach.