Thousands of runners turned Chicago streets into a sea of green Sunday in the annual Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle.
In a brief bit of luck, the 8K race, which marks the unofficial kickoff to outdoor running season in the city, was met with colder, yet mild spring temperatures and clear skies following a snowy end to the work week in Chicago.
The annual race, which is part of the Chicago Distance Series, takes place in March, with runners donning their best St. Patrick's Day-themed attire.
Nathan Martin, of Michigan, took the top spot in the men's race, finishing with an unofficial time of 23:08.
"Just amazing," he told NBC Chicago at the finish line, adding that he "was a little nervous coming in here trying to see how I do."
In the women's race, Amy Davis-Green finished in first place.
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Davis-Green, who ran the Shuffle three years ago as one of her first road races as a professional runner, finished with an unofficial time of 25:54.
"I'm just so thankful for this. I love Chicago. It's great weather, a great thing to do," she said at the finish line.
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Davis-Green said she hopes to return to the city to run the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon in the fall.
"I love the Chicago race circuit," she said.
The top finisher in the wheelchair race was Peter Ruiz, who finished with an unofficial time of 1:22:10. Nat Goldthwaite finished first for non-binary racers with an unofficial time of 31:06.
See some images from this year's race below:
