The skies were cloudy, but spirits were bright on Saturday at the 15th annual Naperville Sunrise Rotary’s St. Paddy’s Day 5K Walk/Run. Nearly a thousand people took to the streets of downtown Naperville to participate in the event.
Fifteen years for The Naperville Sunrise Rotary’s St. Paddy’s Day 5K Walk/Run
“It’s the fifteenth year we’ve been doing this race. It’s an amazing race for me. It’s the start of spring”, said Naperville Sunrise Rotary Race Chair, Ryan Siebert. “It’s the first time where you get people who’ve been bundled up all winter. The streets of Naperville have been kind of barren lately, and this is the event that kicks things off, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day; there’s a parade afterward, there’s a ton of energy here, and we love it”.
Runners began at Centennial Beach and looped around the downtown streets before making their way back to where they started.
Finishing on top this year was Alec Danner, with an overall time of 14:29.
St. Patrick’s costume contest
The event also featured some fashion, with many sporting their finest St. Patrick’s Day-inspired wear. Ann and Jason Reinink brought home the green for winning the top costume, landing a $100 cash prize. But whether there for fashion, fun, or fitness, all agreed it was a great time.
“We love the area, we’ve come to Centennial Beach many times, and we just thought it would be a fun experience to run with everybody else for St. Paddy’s Day”, said Ann Reinink.
“Gerald Suburu and the Naperville Running Company, they’re amazing. Each year we have this there’s always a fear of ‘are we able to get enough runners, are we able to get enough sponsorships,’ but those two set the foundation for us and allow us to do this run year after year”, said Siebert.
The event raised $15,000, which will benefit local nonprofits SamaraCare, West Suburban Community Pantry, and NAMI DuPage.
Bringing home some green for causes that are worth their weight in gold.
If you have a story idea, we want to hear from you!
