CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Chicago continued to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Sunday morning with the 42nd annual Shamrock Shuffle downtown.
Among the 26,000 runners and walkers was Marco Galvan, head of Students Run Chicago, a group that mentors and trains high schoolers to run the Chicago Marathon.
“This is a safe space where they can be whatever they want, and we’re not really pressuring them to run fast or whatever,” Galvan said. “It’s not for a grade, it’s not for anything, it’s just: hang out.”
The 8K run and two-mile walk — seen as the official start of the outdoor running season in Chicago — has a festive energy. A marching band sent off runners at the starting line, and a staple of the shuffle, "The Green Guys," were out in full force.
The group, which on Sunday comprised men and at least one woman, are well known for painting themselves head-to-toe in green and donning puffy, green wigs while they run the shuffle.
“I think with less clothes, we’re actually slower,” one of the group’s runners said. “It’s a process, I’ll leave it at that. It’s a process.”
They’ve been running, taking pictures with, and inspiring others along the route for 15 out of the shuffle’s 42 years.
A post-race party will be taking place in Grant Park until 1 p.m.
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