The Irish have a great tradition in running.
There are those who ran for Ireland.
Ronnie Delany struck Olympic gold by winning the 1,500-meter race at the 1956 Melbourne Games. Fellow Irishman Eamonn Coghlan later became not only the first person to break 3 minutes and 50 seconds in the mile, but also the first person beyond his 30s to break a 4-minute mile.
There are those, too, who ran from Ireland.
Hundreds of thousands made haste abandoning infertile fields of potatoes in the mid-1800s. Roughly a century later, bestselling author Franck McCourt made hay out of fleeing the squalid lanes of Limerick.
The Irish also have a great running tradition: St. Patrick’s Day. Coincidentally, so does Denver.
On Sunday, LoDo is the stage for the 18th annual Runnin’ of the Green. Since 1988, the “Lucky 7K” has served as the unofficial start to the local road-race season, while taunting Mother Nature during Colorado’s snowiest month.
Starting at 10:15 a.m. “sharp” from 17th and Wazee streets, the course winds through LoDo, touches the Platte valley and ends at — where else? — McCormick’s Fish House and Bar.
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RUNNIN’ OF THE GREEN LUCKY 7K
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A block party follows the race at the finish line, including live music, compliments of Colorado-based Celtic rockers The Indulgers, as well as Irish step-dancing.
‘Tis not too late to register. Online registration ends tonight at midnight. There’s also registration on race day from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Still need incentive to get your Irish up and running?
* Contribute to proceeds that benefit Volunteers of America’s “Meals on Wheels” program.
* Find free parking on Denver’s metered streets.
* Keep tradition O’Live.
An online exclusive that runs each Friday, examines the memorable, less visible and lighthearted aspects of Colorado’s sports landscape. DenverPost.com sports producer Bryan Boyle can be reached at bboyle@denverpost.com.
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A look back
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| Post / John Leyba |
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In this photo shot March 16, 2003, runners break from the start line at the beginning of the 15th annual Runnin’ of the Green. Boulder’s Eric Schwartz and Constantina Tomescu-Dita won the men’s and women’s division, respectively. |
