ETA - Seattle PI photo Just one of many of the St. Patrick's days runs all over the country but this one in Seattle has grown to the nation's largest ever since 1985 when a UW track coach started our local version as an early-season opportunity for his Irish girlfriend to qualify for her country's national team and 5,000 other runners showed up. Ever since, it's been the traditional opening to the local running season after the dark and grey winter months of the Pacific Northwest maritime climate. His GF still wins her division every year (master's now) as she is not only joined by elites from Eugene to Vancouver but also by 17,000 others in three green-clad and festooned runner/jogger/walker waves. Most of the rest of us couldn't care less about being fast or not so early in the year through all the bunching-up and jostling as it's reward enough just to be getting back to running the 3.5 miles from the bagpipe start at the Seattle Center, whistlin' and hollerin' through the Battery Street Tunnel, and on down the upper deck of the Alaskan Way Viaduct to the Irish jigs at FX McRory's. Contrary to the forecast, though morning rains dampened a five mile warm-up along the waterfront parks, the sun was breaking through at the 9:00 am start where I began with charity fundraiser supreme and former World Duathlon Champion Du-Sylvia who was also coming off her winter taper. Maybe having the Mercer Island Half as a warm-up last week this year helped, but she paced me at a solid sub-10m/m for the first time in several years so early in the season. I ran a ways with backwards Kevin and, later, both blind Doug and I recalled the 2006 Portland Marathon when the race photog captured him taking a spill right over a gal who suddenly stopped right in front of him before his running guide could react. Unfortunately, in spite of strong pace, I still finished after thousands of other runners and just barely too late to get the best of the goodies from vendor booths leading to the beer garden. However, ClifBar had boxes and boxes of shot-block packets left and, with not too many runners at my pace and slower taking them, they were almost begging runners to "take as many as you can, we have plenty!" I did for sure as I can now look forward even more to upping the ultra count this year. FR - thanks to last-minute sunshine, was able to shed rain poncho from last week's Mercer Island Half Marathon goodie bag I wore during the warm-up and again got to need only green mesh tri-trunks and green Cougar Mountain Trail Series cap with feet and torso pastel green for pretend "shoes" and "singlet." Happy St. Patrick's Day to the other St. Pat'ers and Shamrock runners and all. Time for some more shots from another six-pack, Cliffy's that it.

Excellent race jonny-boy! I want to see pic's of your painted body! Irisharfelina

That does sound like fun. Glad you're enjoying the experience!

that sounds like a lot of fun!! great race!!

Wonderful write up, Tetsujin! Can't wait to do another race with you sometime soon. Your joy in running is contagious!

As always , fun RR to read Jon! Too bad we couln't make it, finding you though in the huge crowd would have been almost impossible! At least I got to put a few more training miles in the bag! Francesca

Excellent race and what a wonderful photo----a winding ribbon of green. I agree that Taper Boy seems hardly the correct moniker! Thanks for the awesome report and sharing the experience. CNYrunner

What a great write-up of one of my favorite races. Not that long ago, I pulled out memorabilia from some of the races I did during my brief one year stint of running when I lived up there (they actually used to mail out postcards with the results!). As you know, this particular race was my first ever race and I attempted it after only just starting to run for the first time in my life a mere 4 wks prior to the St. Paddy's race. My time was something like 36 minutes and change (or maybe it was 38 min and change?), which I thought was pretty slow, but when you consider the thousands of runners that are there, there were times that an end of packer like me was at a super slow jog/fast walk pace just to break through the crowds. It's a very fun race and I still have so many great memories - loved going through the tunnel!