Photo by philliefan99

I’ve run Chicago’s Shamrock Shuffle 8K race for several years now, so when I found out that D.C. has a similar tradition to kick off the spring running season, I signed up right away.

The Capital Running Company has been organizing the St. Patrick’s Day 8K since 1988. It started as a 10K with a little over 1,000 registrants and has morphed into a shorter race with nearly 7,000 runners.

Gorgeous weather with just a little nip the morning air made today’s race a breeze. We started near Freedom Plaza at 12th Street and Pennsylvania Ave. and headed toward the Capitol. Bagpipers were stationed at key corners throughout the race providing a little well-themed good cheer for runners.

Photo by spiggycat

The St. Patty’s-themed regalia donned by many of the racers impressed me. Leprechaun hats and green tutus, Viking horns and kelly-colored leis all added to the scenery and made the race feel faster than five miles.

Though the race was generally well organized, the lack of available bathrooms on the course was problematic as I watched several runners pull off around mile three to use a hotel restroom. Also, at the end, though there were plenty of great post-run snacks to go around, many participants and their fans milled too close to the finish making it difficult to get out of the throng.

I know that D.C.’s running culture is no joke and the St. Patrick’s Day 8K lived up to the reputation. Looking forward to next year, I’m going to order my shamrock antennae now.