Expo Kicks Off Broad Street Weekend Festivities
By Jim Melwert
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - City officials are reminding runners and spectators of stepped-up security for Sunday's Broad Street Run (see related story). The weekend's events are underway with the Not For Runners Only Expo down at the Lincoln Financial Field.
Runners started lining up at the expo as early as 8 a.m. today, even though it didn't open until 10. At the front of the line, Kim from Doylestown said she arrived two hours before the doors opened, "I've waited in line for several hours in years past, so I thought 'I'm going to be first in line this year.'"
You might call her crazy for waiting so long, but if you saw the line, you'd understand. When doors opened, the line stretched from the doors all the way down the block.
The expo and packet pick-up goes until 5 p.m. today, then 8 a.m.-to-5 p.m. tomorrow. If you're heading down, grab your old running shoes to donate them to Clothes-Pin, which is run by Mike Resnic and his daughter Madi, he says they donate to homeless shelters or veteran's groups.
"Everything we collect goes to good use, it doesn't just need to just be sneakers, it can be shoes, it can be men's women's or children's clothing," Resnic says.
Tomorrow morning, in an effort to speed things up, race organizers are asking people to come in the mornings based on their last name, G-M from 8-9 a.m., N-Z from 9-10 a.m., and A-F from 10-11 a.m.
As for getting to the starting line Sunday morning, free parking here at the stadium complex, and free SEPTA subway service on the Broad Street Line.
