With March just around the corner and St. Patrick’s Day fast approaching, many of us are feeling the Irish pride and scouring our wardrobes for inklings of green and emerald. While the celebratory holiday has taken on an identity of its own in the form of Irish pub crawls and massive pitchers of Guinness, the root of the tradition is in spending time with friends, family, and loved ones. With weather clearing up and temperatures on the rise, it’s high time we get out there and honor those very traditions. This time of year has always been celebrated throughout the Tri-Cities, with events for people of all ages taking place across the area.
The Race
One such event that has become a Tri-City tradition during the month of March is the St. Patrick’s Day Footrace, a sprawling marathon that tests the endurance of participants who dare to tackle the challenge. The footrace has been around in one form or another for several decades, and now takes the form of two separate races – 10 km and 5 km, which start on March 11th at 10:00 am and 10:10 am respectively. People of all ages are encouraged to sign up and join the fun. The race will start and finish at Rattlesnake Mountain Brewing Company (2696 N. Columbia Center Blvd), allowing spectators a perfect location to sit back and view the action.
Information
Those who wish to participate in the footrace should sign up online in advance. The overall deadline for online registration will be March 7th, 2023, at 11:59 pm. Prices for admission range between $15 and $25 depending on the time of registration, so sign up as early as you can in order to save some cash! Packet Pickup will be held at Rattlesnake Mountain Brewing on Friday March 10th, 2023 from 4:30-6:30 pm, and again on race day (March 11th) starting at 8:30 am. These Packet Pickup times will serve as your primary source of information on the race, though you can review much of the information online ahead of time.
Sponsors
The event is being presented by 3 Rivers Road Runners (3RRR) and sponsored by several local companies, including Rattlesnake Mountain Brewing, TRI-CU Credit Union, and Runner’s Soul. This team of local organizations has seen the importance of events such as the St. Patrick’s Day Footrace, and doubled down on providing the community with a stream of entertainment events to bring the community together. They have organized awards for the top three winners in each age group, ensuring that the incentive to cross the finish line quickly remains enticing. Even if you don’t come in the top three of your age group, you’re always welcome at Rattlesnake Mountain for a lovely pint of Guinness as your reward. Just make sure to wear some green to avoid the pinches.
