"Everybody's Irish" and everybody's cold as St. Patrick's staple returns to Lake Harriet
MINNEAPOLIS – For the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, a Minnesota tradition is back at Lake Harriet. Its return, however, proved to be memorable, as it came alongside the coldest St. Patrick's Day temperatures in a generation.
The "Everybody's Irish" 5 and 10K run brought hundreds to the lake Saturday morning.
"You just have to plan for every scenario," said event organizier Sarah Ahlers McInerney, who serves as the Executive Director for Run Minnesota. "I have a butane burner so I can unfreeze the barricades from the ice. If we had warm weather in the forecast, we'd have a lot of water on hand."
McInerney says the last time the event was scheduled in 2020, it was canceled due to COVID concerns one day before it was slated to happen.
"We were all ready to go for that event," she said. "We've been planning since then."
Despite the cold, runners showed out in full force. Many dressed in festive outfits to commemorate the St. Patrick's Day holiday.
"This is what it's all about to Minnesotan, and especially to be an outdoor enthusiast like we are," said Sarah Carroll of Minneapolis.
"We like cold temperatures, but 10 isn't really ideal," McInerney said. "I'd like 30 or 40 [degrees] a little bit more."
