Volunteers step into summer with fun run and cleanup

Summer heat can be a deterrent to getting outdoors, but members of the Manasota Track Club hit the road early Saturday morning to run a few miles, then turn their attention to their quarterly community cleanup.

The club oversees its adopted portion of roadway off Longboat Key Little Beach at New Pass Bridge. With just about a dozen people lending a hand, the group collected an estimated 75 pounds of trash.

Their efforts didn't go unnoticed, as a pair of cyclists crossing the bridge called out to the safety-vested group below, "Thank you for everything you do."

The collection figure is made even more impressive by the fact that much of the trash came in the form of the usual waterside refuse suspects: cigarettes, beverage containers, fishing gear waste and bottle caps.

Rob Loeffler, a longtime club member and MTC funding coordinator, said these quarterly cleanups have the trifold benefit of keeping the community clean, giving volunteers a chance to connect, and letting club members earn volunteer points necessary to compete in the MTC Racing Series.

He said the club is seeing strong participation, with approximately 790 active memberships and plenty more community members engaging in events like the cleanups and its Siesta Key summer beach runs.

Given the increase in temperatures during this time of year, Loeffler said the focus is less on organized races and more on letting runners settle into a relaxed pace to maintain stamina over the summer, while making time to hang out with friends.

"Otherwise, it's just about being together and being social, being together, and running," he said.

Loeffler was one of the originators of the Adopt-A-Highway cleanup, stemming from socially distanced exercise in the early 2020s.

"During Covid, I spent a lot of time running out here on Longboat because being outdoors was the key," he said. "I kept running by the signs, and I thought this was something the track club might like to support, so we can be a bit more visible in the community."

The cleanups also offer students an opportunity to chip away at their necessary volunteer community service hours.

Participants including Mo Hogan, who is working to expand the club's communications outreach, enjoyed the sights of a manatee surfacing near St. Armands Circle and a partial rainbow while taking her daughter, McKenna, out for a pre-cleanup 5K that morning.

Club members swapped past race stories, thoughts on the roster of organized runs and shared tips for their techniques to stay cool while training over the summer.

Loeffler added, "Running, even though it is an individual sport, can be very social. As many of my running colleagues will tell you, it's always easier and better and more pleasant to run together."

He said one thing he appreciates about the club, which has been bringing together community members from many walks of life since it began in 1975, is that people enter with a variety of experience levels and goals, yet consistently walk away with the same sense of community.

"We come from so many different backgrounds, and everyone brings a different flavor to our club," he said. "We have small groups in the club, but it's not competitive at all. It's more about camaraderie than competition."

Those participating in the MTC Racing Series can mark their calendars for the Sept. 20 Enviro Run 5K. Memberships are available at individual or family rates.