Contact:
Elvia Thompson, Minister of Propaganda
Maritime Republic of Eastport
410-990-9025
elvia@stellarpresentations.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sixth Annual .05K Bridge Run
Saturday, March 22, at the Crack o'Noon
It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This

Eastport, Md.--It's time again for the Maritime Republic's internationally acclaimed Extreme Sports Event, the .05K run across Spa Creek (The Gulf of Eastport) Bridge.

Runners, joggers, walkers, strollers, humans and dogs, are invited to participate in this "grueling" event. Past first place champions have completed the run in about 37 seconds, so MRE has again thoughtfully included a water stop at mid-span.

This silly, fun event is being sponsored this year by the Boatyard Bar and Grill (400 Fourth Street), to which runners, walkers, and watchers are invited to gather after the run for green beer and the awards ceremony.

For the $15 entry fee, participants will receive a runner's number to be pinned on their garments, a priceless limited edition event tee-shirt designed by Eastport artist Cindy Fletcher-Holden (the event premium), a map of the race course, a goodie bag—courtesy of local merchants—and a ticket for a green beer at the Boatyard. Also available for sale will be a very limited number of Red MRE/.05K Bridge Run hats.

Invaluable trophies, hand-crafted by Cindy, will be awarded in the following categories:

Registration for the event will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Sovereign Motorcars (the Shell station), 335 6th Street, on the Eastport side of the bridge.

The start will be on the Annapolis side, next to the Annapolis Yacht Club, whose ordnance officer will signal the start with a shot of the race canon. Although participants will be issued a map of the race course, they will also be able to follow a special pace car in order to avoid getting lost.

All proceeds from the event go to local charities. In past years, the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, the Special Olympics, Christmas in April (now known as Rebuilding Together), and other charities.

Note to humans running/walking with dogs: Please start at the back of the mob so that the "gazelles" who are going to run really fast don't trip and fall on Fido's leash. It's happened before, and it's not pretty for man nor beast.

MRE is sorry to say that there will be NO Dog Day Afternoon events this year.

The tongue-in-cheek "breakaway republic," the Maritime Republic of Eastport (MRE), was founded in 1998 as a creative way to promote and encourage the patronage of Eastport businesses that were destined to be hurt when the Spa Creek bridge was closed for repair. The goal was to foster a spirit of independence and merriment in a manner befitting the character of Eastport and at the same time, to celebrate Eastport's proud heritage and quality of life. So the Maritime Republic of Eastport was founded on Super Bowl Sunday, 1998, when patriots residing on the Horn Point peninsula rose up in revolt against the "snobbish suppression" of "Annapolis Proper" across the harbor.

Since that time, MRE has become a force in Eastport, doing good for the community, raising tens of thousands of dollars for charity, and having fun at the same time. MRE meetings and activities are open to all.

Up the Republic!

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