St. Paddy's Day 5K set for March 11

When runners take to the streets of Naperville for the annual St. Paddy's Day 5K, they'll be celebrating St. Patrick's Day by making strides to help those with mental illnesses.

The St. Paddy's Day 5K will start at 8 a.m. Saturday, March 11, in downtown Naperville, and be followed by the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Organized by the Rotary Club of Naperville Sunrise, in cooperation with West suburban Irish, this year's race supports the National Alliance on Mental Illness of DuPage County and its early intervention program called Ending the Silence. The program helps teens learn to recognize the early warning signs of mental illness and what to do if they or someone they know is exhibiting these signs. In the last academic year this program reached more than 19,000 students across DuPage County, including close to 6,000 in Naperville.

The race follows the St. Patrick's Day Parade route, which begins and ends at Jackson Avenue and West Street near Centennial Beach. Taking runners through scenic and historic downtown Naperville, the race ends in plenty of time before the parade steps off at 10 a.m. Spectators for the parade arrive early to cheer on runners. Every intersection along the parade route will be supervised by sets of parade marshals to ensure everyone's safety and enjoyment.

A post-race party for racers and sponsors, featuring refreshments that include corned beef sandwiches and green beer, will take place in the registration tent. Costumes are encouraged and will be judged for prizes prior to the race.

Registration is available to 3,000 entrants. Race-day registration is also available, up to the maximum allowed entrants. Those registering prior to the race will receive a technical running shirt in either men's or women's sizes. Early bird registration for adults and youth and additional information is available at stpattysday5k.org. The adult registration fee goes up on March 1.

Overall and age-group awards will be provided. Awards will be given and race results posted online shortly after the race.

Race organizers have partnered with Winged Foot Foundation to collect new or used running shoes. The foundation will clean and distribute the shoes to assist student athletes in the Chicago area. Bins for shoe donations will be available during advance packet pickup at the Naperville Running Company and on race day at the information area and gear check.

Also, Working Bikes Chicago will collect used bikes in working or repairable condition for shipment to the needy in Lesotho, Africa. Working Bikes will have a drop-off point from 7 a.m. to noon on race day near Centennial Beach.