Runners take their mark for annual St. Patrick's Road Race

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - The vibes were immaculate Saturday in Holyoke with the return of the 46th annual St. Patrick's Road Race and all the shenanigans that come with.

Runners from far and wide, and of all abilities, attracted to this shining showcase of community spirit.

Road Race Competitor Adam Goncalves told 22News, "I lost a fantasy football bet, so I gotta keep up the promise and run for the guys."

"We're both Portuguese, but I'm a quarter Irish. It's cool to see everyone get together, have a good time, run the race, the drinks, the support," expressed another Road Race competitor, Manny Goncalves.

The weather held up its end of the bargain giving us an absolutely gorgeous day in Holyoke for this time honored tradition with enthusiasm on full display. This will be the second year back from the pandemic, and speaking with Race organizers earlier, they said that year two really upped participating numbers for this year's road race.

"We have a great turnout today. The weather is beautiful. We are going to have well over five-thousand runners on the road today. As you know the whole weekend is a big homecoming. We saw our numbers of people travelling to run go way down last year. But, we have 37 states represented in the race today," expressed Road Race Director, Brian Donoghue.

From the kids fun run, to the 10K race, and even the two-mile walk, there really is something for everyone on race day. Even if exercise isn't your forte there is countless vendors, food trucks, and local organization booths providing plenty of entertainment.