OCEAN CITY- With cool but clear weather forecasted for the weekend, the St. Patrick’s 5K on the Boardwalk on Saturday is once again expected to be the perfect kickoff for the day’s festivities.
The St. Patrick’s Boardwalk 5K is produced by OC Tri-Running and sponsored in large part by Shenanigan’s Irish Pub and Grille. For years, it has been held on the Saturday before actual St. Patrick’s Day, or the same day as he town’s annual parade, and as such provides an opportunity for a little early morning exercise before the festivities get started later in the day.
The 5K race will start at Shenanigan’s on the Boardwalk at 4th Street and head south to the Inlet. From there, runners will return up the Boardwalk to 16th Street where they will turn around again and head back to the finish line at Shenanigan’s. Last year, 1,300 runners from all over the mid-Atlantic region kicked off their parade day festivities with the annual 5K
When the event was officially approved by the town two weeks ago, Mayor Rick Meehan said Special Consulate to the Irish Embassy Joe Gavin will be on hand again as he has in years past to kickoff the event and serve as official starter. Shenanigan’s owner Greg Shockley said the event, which began several years ago with a modest 200 competitors, has grown to around 1,300 and has become a fixture as part of the town’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
“When we started this, we weren’t sure how it was going to go or what would happen,” he said. “We went from 200 that first year to over 1,300 last year. It’s a great way to kick off the festivities.”
