St. Patrick’s Day brings more than luck to downtown Naperville every year; Saturday was the St. Paddys Day 5K, put on by The Rotary Club of Naperville Sunrise. Close to 2,000 runners and walkers, mostly in green, gathered in the town’s popular downtown area to kick off Irish celebrations.
The race started at 8 a.m. and was followed by a parade at 10 a.m., both of which weaved through the scenic and historic parts in the heart of downtown Naperville. All participants received a technical shirt at packet pick up, and bead necklaces as they crossed the finish line.
Refreshments at the finisher’s tent included corn beef sandwiches, bagels, cookies, wine and famous green beer. Overall, the themed event was fun for both runners and walkers, and definitely set the St. Patrick’s Day spirit for the week!
Damon King was the first runner crossing the finish line in 15:01. Ryan Jaskiewicz came in second at 15:12 and Tommy Ferguson came in third at 15:52. Kristina Aubert (16:53) was the first female runner, Lauren Zumbach (17:22) was the second and Jamie Hershfang (17:49) was the third.
