Are you participating in 5K runs, but want to push your distance farther? Are you ready to be part of the Striders' tradition, 35 years and counting, of Saturday Bagel Runs? Then join Building to Bagel and let us help you reach a goal run of six miles, and prepare you for the Striders' more advanced training programs.

Building to Bagel is designed for runners who are already running 2-3 miles. Runners will be required to complete a two-mile time trial at the first meeting. Based on your two mile time, you'll be assigned to a coach with other runners to train for a 6 mile run over 9 weeks.

Our graduation run for this session will be on Saturday, November 8, at 7:00 am sharp.

This is a low-key, no-fuss, family-friendly program. We welcome men, women, and kids 13 and up. We do require that younger runners be accompanied by a parent or authorized adult at all meetings.

We'll meet at the parking lot of the Wilde Lake Interfaith Center every Monday at 6:00 pm, from September 8 through November 3. We'll hit the surrounding sidewalks and paths of the Wilde Lake neighborhood, where we'll cover parts of the Bagel Run as our distances increase.

You'll have one coach-led run a week, and then three solo runs a week. One of these will be a long run of increasing distance, until you can run 6 miles. At the end of the program, join your coaches for a 6-mile Bagel Run, followed by a celebratory bagel and drink at the Bagel Bin, on us!

You must be a Howard County Strider to participate in this program. If you are not already a Strider, you can sign up here.