The Outer Banks Sporting Events, the folks that put on the annual Outer Banks Marathon, got things going this spring with their Annual Running of the Leprechaun. Except the race hasn’t been very annual for the past two years.
But it came back this year and the 5K or 10K race was as good as ever if not even better.
The course wanders through a little piece of Nags Head Woods and conditions for the race could not have been better. Wonderful sunshine, temperatures around 65 at the 8:00 a.m. race time—it was a great way to get the year’s races going again.
It’s a pretty much local race. Some people come from outside the Outer Banks, but really this is one race that local folks know about and mark on their calendars. There were a little more than 200 runners this year, which is not bad at all for a race that really is not marketed too much away from the Outer Banks.
The catering, of course, was by Kelly Catering. Mike is no longer in the restaurant business, but he has kept his catering. Those sweet potato biscuits with country ham are simple, sweet and savory and wonderful.
The Running of the Leprechaun is part of the Mike Kelly’s St. Patty’s Day Parade weekend—culminating, of course, with the parade tomorrow, March 20. A reminder for all those interested in going—if you have never seen the Kelly’s Parade, well, it’s a little bit small town life, a little bit Outer Banks life and a lot quirky. There is just no other way to describe it.
For the OBSE, the next race is one of their more challenging races—the Flying Pirate Half Marathon Starts on April 24.
Things are really picking up on the Outer Banks. See for yourself what’s happening on this sandbar by the sea when you stay in a Brindley Beach Vacations home.