Over 1500 fans and runners participated in the 2nd annual 50 Yard Finish Half Marathon, 5K run and Kid's Race June 29 at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
The red, white and blue races started at One Bills Drive with a course that took runners through historic Orchard Park, as spectators watched and cheered on. Fans had the opportunity to watch themselves on the Diamond-Vision scoreboard as they ran through the tunnel and finished on the 50!
"It's amazing. I felt like I was actually going out on the field and playing," said Bills Season Ticket Holder and Half Marathon runner Bradley Keem. "You go through the tunnel and get goose bumps. All of the energy comes back to you and it was an incredible finish. What an opportunity- to be on the field, be with a bunch of Bills fans- I even high-fived Billy Buffalo!"
"We live in Northern Virginia and we are big Bills fans. We knew we'd be in town this weekend and decided to do the 5K," said Laurie Donovan. "We are the first ones in our family to have been on the field, been able to stand on the field. It's different than any other race we've done."
"I've done a lot of different runs but this truly was well organized with such a great finish," said Half Marathon runner Judy Porpiglia. It was a lot of fun."
The once-in-a-lifetime community event featured Buffalo Jills Cheerleaders, Buffalo Bills Alumni, Billy Buffalo and thousands of Bills fans. The races coincide with the NFL and Bills PLAY 60 message-helping fight childhood obesity by encouraging today's youth to exercise at least 60 minutes per day.
The event was made possible by the Bills partnership with Eclipse Multisport and the Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission. Water and beverages were provided compliments of Pepsi and Anheuser-Busch.
Cilck here to check out the photo gallery from the race. Congratulations to all runners and thank you for making this year's 50 Yard Finish a success!
