Oakland Running Festival Celebrates Diversity

It was a clear, sunny day — and a great day for Oakland. More than 10,000 people of all ages came together yesterday for the 5th Annual Oakland Running Festival.  They participated in the following events: individual marathon, relay marathon, half-marathon, 5K or kids races.  Cheering crowds offered their support including live bands, recorded “Rocky” theme music, cow bells and edible treats.

The full marathon with more than 1000 runners included some running for the first time. On the other extreme, a SF man said he’d run at least one marathon in every state in the US, which totaled 221 marathons!  Rob Nachtwey — someone I hold near and dear (my son) — finished second (for the second year in a row) at 2:41:00.  Naturally, I volunteered to be head cheer-leader among our family and friends.

All and all, everyone was a winner. But the biggest winner of all was the City of Oakland. The well-organized event ended at Snow Park by Lake Merritt, for celebration and the award ceremony. The Festival successfully show-cased many positive aspects of Oakland, such as community, diversity, and a strong sense of civic pride.

http://tinyurl.com/oaklandmarathon