‘Runnin’ of the Green’ celebrates St. Patrick’s Day in Washington Park
Bagpipe group plays Irish music as runners compete in the 37th annual Runnin' of the Green at Washington Park on Sunday, March 9 in Denver, Colorado.
Noah Festenstein [email protected]
Hundreds of runners and happy-go-lucky canines ran for the pot o’ gold in Washington Park on Sunday for the 37th annual Terry McGrath’s Runnin’ of the Green.
Well, if a beer garden, live music and refreshments count as a “pot o’ gold” – then participants enjoyed the wealth as they crossed the 7K finish line at Wash Park.
Runners and a dog compete in the 37th annual Runnin' of the Green at Washington Park on Sunday, March 9 in Denver, Colorado.
Noah Festenstein [email protected]
Runners and a dog compete in the 37th annual Runnin’ of the Green at Washington Park on Sunday, March 9 in Denver, Colorado.
At the top o’ the morning, runners of all ages, and dozens of pups, ran or walked around the 2.5-mile hiking loop either in the 7K run or the two-mile “Leprechaun Leap.”
The Runnin’ of the Green annually celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in March. This year’s St. Patrick’s Day falls on Monday, March 17.
Denver’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, which is one of the oldest in the country, will be held downtown on Saturday morning. The parade will start at 9:30 a.m. at 19th and Wynkoop.
Along the Wash Park trail, participants were met with bagpipers, a giant inflatable leprechaun and dancers.
A giant inflatable leprechaun greets runners during the 37th annual Runnin' of the Green at Washington Park on Sunday, March 9 in Denver, Colorado.
Noah Festenstein [email protected]
A giant inflatable leprechaun greets runners during the 37th annual Runnin’ of the Green at Washington Park on Sunday, March 9 in Denver, Colorado.
Proceeds assist the Fetal Health Foundation, the run’s charity partner for the past several years. This year, the race raised nearly $10,000 for the foundation, according to event organizers.
Started by the McGrath family in 1988, Runnin’ of the Green was the first and longest-running event in Denver’s LoDo area, before recently moving to Washington Park in 2022.
Terry and Margot McGrath began the race 37 years ago to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and to give back to the community.
“Those first few years Terry and Margot spent countless hours courting sponsors and slapping windshields with ROTG brochures,” Runnin’ of the Green officials said on its website.
“Over the next few years, the number of runners boomed and the event became an iconic Denver race and the unofficial start of the running season, at times drawing over 5,000 runners.”
Runners dash to the finish line as a group of dancers in inflatable costumes cheer them on in the 37th annual Runnin' of the Green at Washington Park on Sunday, March 9 in Denver, Colorado.
Noah Festenstein [email protected]
Runners dash to the finish line as a group of dancers in inflatable costumes cheer them on in the 37th annual Runnin’ of the Green at Washington Park on Sunday, March 9 in Denver, Colorado.
693 runners finished in the 7K run, while 124 runners finished the 2-mile run, according to the results page.