Wetlands run considered a success

A new type of endurance run – with some unusual extras tossed in – was held a little more than a week ago in the Terrebonne Parish community of Montegut.

And organizers say they are pleased with the results.

The Louisiana Run for the Wetlands attracted nearly 100 people as participants. They ran atop levees in the Montegut area and throughout the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’s adjoining Pointe-aux-Chenes wildlife reserve. But Terrebonne Economic Development Authority chief Mattew Rookard says he sees the run as a potential signature event in the future.

“This started as an initiative we kicked off last year called HT sports,” Rookard said, explaining how natural landscapes in the parish could be used as sites for events. “When you merge getting people out on the levies with this type of event we can have them related more to the sports tourism industry. This make for a really good experience, something you can’t get in many places other than here. Of the 87 people that participated about 50 percent were local, with the others from outside the parish including 10 percent from out-of-state.”

As runners ran, nature lovers strolled along levees that make up part of the 72 miles of parish flood protection systems at the April 7 event.

“The goal is to raise money to hire a person whose job it will be to market the area,” said Katherine Theriot, TEDA’s business retention and expansion director. The nature trail was chosen to showcase the wetlands, the levees, the wildlife, and efforts to combat erosion. It was divided into 3 portions: a 5k nature walk (3.1 miles), a 10k race (6.2 miles), and a half marathon (13.1miles).

A bird watching event was scheduled as well.

Slogging along the marsh in white shrimp boots and toting a massive camera, self-described “newbie” bird watcher Kerry Byrne was pleased to be a part of it all.

“There’s a bunting right here!” said Byrne in a low but excited tone. “I was hoping to see something like a seaside sparrow or something like that, and I see and Indigo Bunting!”

He located birds deep in the marsh by listening for their distinct chirps. He would stop mid-conversation to use his camera’s lens like binoculars and spot the birds.

Another nature walker, Janel Ricca, was following Byrne’s lead. She had joined the Terrebonne Bird Club this year and speculated that the low turnout of bird watchers was because of conflicting schedules. She said the bird watching club had planned a trip to the Grand Isle Bird Festival which took place the same day.

She chose to come to this event instead to see the levees:

“I just wanted the opportunity to see all, I’m from Houma but when do you actually get a chance to see the levees,” said Ricca.

The runners, meanwhile, had begun their races before the nature walkers. As the runners trickled past, the walkers and watchers stepped aside.

Before the race, Roberta Becker was warming up and said she and her husband had saw the race and were participating as preparation for the Crescent City Classic.

Becker finished just in her division, Female Masters 10k, with a time of 1:02:45. It was her and her husband, Robert Monahan’s, anniversary, and she said it was a great surprise that they both placed first – he ran 52:59 Top Overall in Male 10k.•

Wetlands runCOLIN CAMPO | THE TIMES