By ERIC ALTHOFF
FOR THE FREE LANCEâSTAR
After a year of forced hibernation, Brian Pessolano vowed the 2021 Great Train Race would see Fredericksburgâs waterfront event roar back to life in grand fashion.
âThis will probably be the largest event in downtown Fredericksburg in a year, I think, easily,â said Pessolano, president of the Fredericksburg Area Running Club and race director for the 27th annual Great Train Race, which was mothballed in 2020 thanks to COVID-19.
Because last yearâs iteration was the first that had to be scrapped, Pessolano and his team were determined that the 2021 race would be that much more special for all involved. However, holding the in-person eventâwhich typically happens in Mayâwasnât even a certainty after Gov. Ralph Northam lifted certain outdoor gathering restrictions this spring.