MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — On March 6, 2022, thousands of runners took on the Skyway 10K.

That’s when Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Toni Schuck heard over the radio that a driver had slammed through the barricades and was heading her direction at about 100 mph. There she was, the “last line of defense” between a suspected drunken driver and thousands of runners.

Schuck crashed into the vehicle head on, saving thousands of lives.

“It’s my job and I felt like I did what I had to do,” Schuck said in June.

Now, as runners gear up for the Skyway 10K Sunday, officials say things will be different this year.

“We are honoring Toni Schuck by having her be the lead patrol car starting out the event,” said Creative Director Niki Austin. “Additionally, we do want runners to know we have added more security measures; we’ve worked with FHP and the other agencies to make sure nothing like that could ever happen again.”

Austin says they’re keeping the race safe, and it’s all for a good cause.

100% of the race registration fees go to the Armed Forces Families Foundation, a non-profit in Clearwater.

“In 2022, we raised $652,000, so very proud of that accomplishment,” Austin said. “We take that money and it goes back into our community funding infrastructure projects that benefit military families.”

The northbound lanes of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge will be closed Sunday from 3:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. The southbound lanes will remain open throughout the duration of the race. Daylight Savings Time switches over at 2 a.m., so officials are asking runners to plan accordingly.

Runners are being asked to arrive at least one-hour prior to their designated bus wave time for bus loading at Tropicana Field.

The four wave times are listed below:
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– Bus Wave A (1): 5:30 a.m.
– Bus Wave B (2): 6:10 a.m.
– Bus Wave C (3): 6:50 a.m.
– Bus Wave D (4): 7:30 a.m.