St. Patrick's Day Race in Detroit's Corktown

I had a great time at the race and with all the festivities that followed. It was easy to find the race area. You could spot the sea of green people from miles away. I think every runner was decorated in some way. I saw green suspenders, shamrock skirts, top hats, green glasses, everything. There was no shortage of fashion ideas. The race was packed. I think there were more than 3,000 runners. Every age was represented, from babies munching on pretzels as they were pushed in state-of-the-art strollers by athletic parents, 11 year old youngsters sprinting without breathing hard, teams with matching logo t-shirts, and older folks enjoying a stroll under a bountiful blue sky. The start of the race was jam-packed but I didn't really see the crowding as a negative. I don't have many friends who run so I enjoyed just knowing that other runners exist out there. Plus, it's not as if I was trying to break a land speed record, so I wasn't upset if my starting pace was more of a shuffle as I tried to find some breathing space. The course was an out-and-back loop on Michigan Ave. The sides of the street were lined with spectators, revelling in the noon-time bar sales and preparing for a spot to view the parade to follow. It was a fun atmosphere and the weather just made it that much more wonderful. In fact, I woke up today to realize just how sun burned my face is from hanging outside all day long. So I finished the race in 42:40 which averages to a 10:40 mile and I'm plenty happy with that! Afterwards, Jason and I had some beers at various bars that we could manage to squeeze ourselves into. We saw portions of the parade: the Gaelic League float, revelers throwing beads, the usual. It was definitely a fun day and if the weather is as nice next year, I'll get a whole group of people down there to enjoy it!