The Ogden Newspapers Wellness Weekend presented by WVU Medicine is one of our favorite weekends of the year, a wonderful blend of promoting fitness, having fun and gathering thousands in downtown Wheeling to celebrate what is essentially the beginning of the summer season.

(Though, considering the temperatures and rain clouds we saw through the weekend, spring was trying to cling for at least a little bit longer.)

What we saw over two days was nothing short of spectacular, from the people who braved 13.1 miles of some of the toughest terrain for the Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon Classic, to the urban warriors tackling the Tough As Nails Urban Challenge presented by The Health Plan, to our youngest athletes in the Ogden Fun Run and Tiny Tot Trot, both presented by Bordas & Bordas, to our furry friends traversing the course of Rovers On The River presented by Play N Stay Pet Camp.

There are so many people we need to thank. Our sponsors help us with the resources to present this weekend every year. Our volunteers give up their time on Memorial Day weekend to make the event shine. The City of Wheeling’s partnership can’t be quantified.

And then there’s you.

You turned out in droves to participate throughout the weekend. Look at these numbers — 443 runners and 77 walkers in the Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon Classic; 285 who participated in the 5K Run presented by Bordas & Bordas and another 245 who participated in the 5K Walk; 68 kids the Ogden Fun Run presented by Bordas & Bordas, and 89 the Tiny Tot Trot presented by Bordas & Bordas; 42 four-legged participants in Rovers on the River presented by Play N Stay Pet Camp; 97 cyclists in the Wheeling Heritage Bicycle Tour; and a record 604 urban warriors in the Tough As Nails Urban Challenge presented by The Health Plan.

“Rain or shine, the Ogden Newspapers Wellness Weekend presented by WVU Medicine continues to be a fantastic event,” said Jim Spanner, general manager of The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register. “When I look out among the crowd and see the smiles on all those faces, it makes the hard work of so many people so worth it.”

Those good times don’t happen without people coming to downtown Wheeling this past weekend to share them. The people of the Ohio Valley and beyond have embraced the Ogden Newspapers Wellness Weekend presented by WVU Medicine and have helped it grow each year.

We all want to see it grow even more in later years. We’ll be doing all we can to enhance the future experiences, trying to provide our guests the best possible time to get fit and have fun. We all hope you’ll continue your support, through your participation or just by cheering on the folks who do participate. Let’s all keep making memories on Memorial Day weekend.