As the winds starting picking up on Sunday morning, some very dedicated runners laced up their sneakers and hit the pavement.

The 18th Annual Clearwater Distance Classic was scheduled to take off just after 7 a.m. on Sunday, but was called off by local law enforcement agencies right around noontime on Saturday.

  • Group of runners braves strong winds
  • Runners came from all over country

The cancellation, which was posted to the race's Facebook page, said the decision was made for the safety of all the volunteers, crew members, and runners.

"They canceled for safety and we completely understand, and we still came out here being local and we were able to do it and had a great time, and we love it. We love running," said participant Yvonne Perkins.

Staff and volunteers were at Coachman Park in downtown Clearwater early Sunday morning handing out medals to the registered runners, but many of the runners said they wanted to earn them.

Part of the resilient group of runners braving the wind included dozens of women who are part of the Black Girls Run group.

"We had sisters come from all over the country," said runner Cassandra Thomas. "Some from North Carolina, some from California, everywhere, just to join us today. And we weren't going to let bad weather stop us from running in this run today."

"I think just camaraderie with our sisters to run, and those that traveled a long distance. And we got our medals so we definitely wanted to earn our medals and we came out anyways," added Katrina Oliver.

This isn't the first time the Clearwater Distance Classic has been whacked by some bad weather. Last year, a rain storm led organizers to cancel the marathon and 50K portions of the race.

Runners who pre-registered will now be a part of the virtual race and can complete it at a later time.