Runners can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a little early this year with the second annual Ampersand Running Club Gold Rush Race on Saturday, March 15.
Participants in the 5k or 10k are encouraged to wear green in the run along the Trinity River Trail.
View this post on Instagram
The race was organized by the Ampersand Run Club, which was founded in February 2023 when the owner and employees of the Ampersand Coffee shop were training for the Cowtown Marathon, Chloe Bohannon, the Ampersand marketing director, said.
“I think it’s been cool to see a little community grow of people who are honestly trying to make friends,” Bohannon said. “At the end of the day, I feel like it’s a big social gathering.”
She said that running is just an added benefit to the fun.
The finish line turns into a block party after the race, Bohannon said. Post-race will include food and drink vendors, live entertainment and raffles outside of the West 7th Street Ampersand location.
Ampersand owner, Huy Vu, and Run Club captain, Jamie Dominguez, felt they needed to create something special for their community when it came to St. Patrick’s Day. There was a running club of 300-500 people, yet no event that brought them all together, Bohannon said.
There will be cash prizes for the top three male and female finishers of the 5K and 10K: $250 for first place, $150 for second and $75 for third.
Also, first place overall in the male and female categories will win a free outfit from Catch at Set Active or SoulCycle.
The 5k costs $60 and the 10k costs $70 to register. The entry fee includes a performance finisher shirt, a custom finisher medal, professional photos and a beverage and food coupon redeemable on-site food trucks. Use promo code ‘TCU360’ for $5 off at registration.
