St. Patrick’s Day Parade Run A Festival and Competitive Race

By Drew Langenberg
Cold, clear and crisp best describe this near-perfect morning for a race and the weather contributed to keeping the beer at the finish at the perfect temperature. This year’s Saint Patrick’s Day Parade Run turned out to be as unique in spirit as the thousands who ran it.

I arrived early, a little before 6, expecting to find a large crowd of dedicated runners warming up. But as I walked onto Market Street, I found cold, empty pavement and workers turning the street lights out of the way for the parade later in the day. Fortunately, that didn’t last long. As the crowd grew, the streets slowly turned green, covered in green paint, people wearing festive green shirts, wigs and costumes.

Many of the runners claimed they were in it for speed, but the green skirts, wigs and shopping carts full of beer gave away why many were really there. The streets were lined with spectators waiting for the race and the parade which followed with barbecue pits and, of course, green beer. Many spectators left no doubt to what they were celebrating by decorating the street, parking meters and trees with banners, signs and even an occasional leprechaun statue. Brian Lyons, who has run several St. Paddy’s day races, says it and the festival have become a tradition for many inside and outside the running community. “There are some people who go down early every year to stake out their spot,” he said.

When organizers unleashed the crowd of costumed runners, the sea of heads stretched for miles, as far as the eye could see. The finish line was several blocks down Market from the start line, but by the time the last of the runners going out had crossed it, the first of the competitive runners was just a few minutes away from finishing.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade Run isn’t just a race for weekend warriors and people who want to party. Lyons, who won last year, says it brings out some of the best runners in St. Louis. “As a St. Louis runner it’s one of the must-do races.” This year’s field did not disappoint. Ben Rosario edged out Zac Freudenburg to take first place by just one second, finishing in 24:11 and averaging just under a 5-minute mile. He says the St. Paddy’s day race is always competitive, but the crowd really pumped him up, “It’s just a fun day and I’m a guy who really runs well on emotion,” Rosario said.

The first female runner, Francine Nzilampa came in just 4 minutes later with a time of 28:36. Nzilampa, from France and the Congo, is in St. Louis to study at Lindenwood University.

The competitive runners make lots of headlines and accomplish unbelievable speeds during the race. They achieve on a regular basis what many of us can only dream of. But what seems to set this race apart is the atmosphere and the mixing of highly trained athletes with everyday Joes and Janes who may only ever run this race and never officially train for it. Rosario says it’s a big part of what makes the run fun: “It’s 9,000 people doing the same thing at different speeds, and they’re all having a blast.”
The finish line at this race has something else that sets it apart: a lot of free beer. Table after table of ice-cold, fresh-from-the-tap brew were set up and waiting for thirsty runners. Some took their own beer out on the course. But for those who didn’t have a shopping cart or big pockets, refreshments were provided at the end. This is where everybody really loosened up and the celebration began. Runners who were already excited at the beginning reached the finish and celebrated the beautiful day, Saint Patrick and the run they had just completed. It was an atmosphere of camaraderie and fun. Most say this is a race they run every year and will continue to run or walk as long as they can make it across the finish line. Rosario calls the St. Paddy’s day run a staple of the St. Louis Running Community and sums up well the sentiments of nearly everyone I encountered that day: “As long as I’m in St. Louis, I’ll be a big part of it.”