Downtown Run Readies People For St. Patrick’s Fun
ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI)-A day of St. Patrick’s Day fun started with the traditional run in downtown St. Louis Saturday. Thousands formed a running river of green in the 35th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Run in downtown St. Louis. A starting horn blew. People cheered. Then, a young girl in a reclined bike sped off for the wheelchair race.
“The atmosphere is good,” pointed out runner, Matt Lakin. “A lot of my friends are here.”
Following the run, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade will step off at noon and travel down Market to Broadway. Noted as one of the top in the country, the parade is traditionally held the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day and draws a huge crowd. Click here for more on the Downtown St. Louis St. Patrick’s Day events.
St. Patrick’s Day Parades are also held in Cottleville, MO and Belleville, IL on Saturday. The Ancient Order Of Hibernian’s Parade is Sunday at 12:30pm in the Dogtown neighborhood of St. Louis.
There was not a lot of green beer, but plenty of green gear at morning race. Athletes warmed up on Walnut Street in the shadow of Ballpark Village construction. Street Department crews brought cranes to hang the starting line sign over Broadway.
“Thousands and thousands of people,” Matt Lakin added. “It’s a pretty big run. So, I’m never in the front but I’m also never in the back.”
“I’m very Irish,” explained runner Meg Gartland. “And I figured, ‘You know, I run other races. I don’t know why I’ve never done this one.’”
Her post-run plans included helping friend Tricia Bagsey get her kids to the parade, also in Downtown later that morning.
“I don’t know,” Bagsey laughed. “I think you probably picked the two people that are not here to really celebrate all the festivities.”
“I’m waiting for tomorrow, St. Patrick’s Day proper,” Gartland interrupted with her plans for Sunday. “We will probably go to the Dogtown Parade and have fun there.”
Hudson: “What’s the definition of having fun?”
Gartland: “Having ‘fun’,” she only used air quotes.
Husdon: “You’re not going to specify?”
Gartland: “And, I won’t be running,” she laughed.
To be clear, Gartland and Bagsey were of legal age to drink, if they chose. But, St. Louis Police spent the weekend cracking down on underage drinkers. But, there were no problems with 14-year-old Devyn Ford putting himself through running drills next to grown-ups.
“Just working our legs,” he explained. “Getting warmed up for the race.”
He had a goal firmly set for his first road race.
“I hope to run a 33 or a 35, somewhere in there.”
The teen raced for a sense of accomplishment, along with his coach and uncle Jeremy. Jeremy used the dozens of beer trucks and hundreds of liquor logos to explain that drinking and St. Patrick’s day did not mix for kids.
“Although there can be a lot of drinking and negativity around it,” Jeremy said. “Still, we’re here for the positivity of the whole experience.”
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