MANATEE — Lacing up their running shoes Friday afternoon, an estimated 400 people ran the first Robinson Preserve 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run to raise money for the 487-acre preserve.
Two runners fastened sensor chips to their ankles to record the time when they finished the 5K race.
Jody Hadley and Lynda Botzenhart, both of Bradenton, said they run the trails at the preserve about once a week.
“People can’t drive out here, which is really a great thing,” said Hadley. “It’s nice to get away from traffic on Manatee Avenue and Cortez Road.”
An estimated 20,000 visitors and about 5,000 dogs frequent Robinson Preserve each month for outdoor activities, according to Manatee County Department of Natural Resources.
The preserve, which opened in July, has about five acres designated for outdoor activities and the remainder is left for wildlife preservation, said Charlie Hunsicker, director of Natural Resources Department in Manatee County.
By the end of the year, the preserve will include a visitor’s center, camp site, shaded benches and rest rooms, he said.
Hunsicker said the property is suited for the number of visitors that come monthly.
The run was sponsored by Sarasota-based Fit2Run, a runners’ specialty store owned by Parks Robinson, whose family donated $6.9 million to help the county obtain the preserve. Funds raised by the run go to benefit the preserve as well as the Palma Sola Botanical Park.
While fund raisers, such as the run, help support the preserve, Hunsicker said volunteers are needed for things such as trail maintenance.
“As we continue to tone up with our resources, we’re going to need to rely more on local support,” he said.
One of the reasons for the preserve’s popularity is the accessibility.
“We get lots of different groups out here because part of it is paved,” said Sandy Koi, a green ways and trail coordinator for Manatee County. “It’s wheelchair and bicycle accessible.”
Koi pointed out the preserve has several nature attractions, including an eagle’s nest built in a dead Australian pine tree with two nestlings that will be fledglings in a couple of weeks, and the eastern pygmy blue butterfly with a half inch wingspan that only lives in salt marshes.
Many people kayak, bird watch, run, walk and fish at the preserve.
Gaylee Steele, 35, of Palmetto, and a member of Bradenton-based Iron Mommies, was preparing for the one-mile run with her 1-year-old son, Zackary, strapped in a running stroller and her 5-year-old son, Mikeal, by her side.
She sometimes brings her family to the preserve to enjoy exercise and nature.
“Just the scenery is nice. It’s great to run because you’re not looking at buildings. The only thing with the little ones is we stop for everything — crabs, turtles and fish. It’s just a nice place to go for a Saturday afternoon,” Steele said.
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