The Ironton Rail Trail 25th anniversary run/walk was held Sept. 13.

Starting 9 a.m., while Mother Nature was still watering the earth, participants gathered to get started on the bucolic, serene and beautiful IRT at Saylor Park on North Second Street, adjacent to Coplay Parkway.

The rain didn’t lighten up until near the conclusion of the event, but despite the weather, the event was a success.

No run/walk can take place without a registration table. Bill Ehritz and Cassie, Terri, Chris and Ryan Schmidt cheerfully staffed this area. With the registration, a runner, or even a donating non-runner, received an IRT run/walk T-shirt. The 25th anniversary T-shirt appearance has a collectors-like quality.

Keystone Running and Walking Shoes, which has been in business since 1981, was the principal sponsor, along with many others. Keystone is an avid supporter of the IRT. The sponsorships and hard work of organizers and volunteers have transformed the event from merely another race into an IRT tradition.

Runners from around the area graced the momentous date of the 2026 run/walk. The course had runners starting on the Coplay portion of the trail and went through part of the Whitehall trail, ending by the historic Saylor Kilns.

Emily Evans, of Wescosville, and Jimmy T. Talianek, of Salisbury, were geared up to run. Rob Bekesy, of Emmaus, and Kevin Simon loosened up before the race in hopes they would have a fast run. Mary Berry, of Macungie, and her young daughter Adelaide, and Brooke Schleicher, of Emmaus, were excited for the beginning of the event.

The postrace celebration had prizes for the overall winners and the other winners of their age ranges. The post-celebration offered awards, ceremonies and refreshments.

Andrew Snyder, of Lehighton, was the fleet of foot entry in a swift run around the 6.2-mile course, finishing in overall first place.

The fastest female entry was Carly Ehritz, from Philadelphia, who led all women in the race by a comfortable margin.

The IRT was developed 30 years ago by dedicated volunteers who labored for decades and successfully procured funding and grant dollars to take the old railroad tracks, which served the former local cement industry, and transformed them into a first-rate passive exercise trail.

The trail spans Coplay Borough and Whitehall and North Whitehall townships. The trail follows the historic railroad tracks that breathed life into the local cement industry for many years.

A key driver of the Coplay trail development for nearly three decades was Joseph Bundra, a former Coplay Borough Council member and former mayor. He used his political office to work with other like-minded council members and mayors to develop the Coplay portion of the trail. Bundra, to this day, remains an IRT volunteer.

The entire IRT team from the three municipalities are role models for the spirit of volunteerism. They have done a valuable service to provide quality-of-life experiences for their residents and beyond.