Jenny Kincaid Boone

Jenny Kincaid Boone has been running since she was in eighth grade. She competed in cross country and track at Fort Defiance High School (Fort Defiance, Va.) and at Roanoke College, where she was all-ODAC in cross country for four years. When her knees and legs aren't aching from the wear of years of competition, she hits the 19 to low 20-minute range for a 5K.

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This Saturday marks the 15th running of one of the largest 5Ks in the Roanoke Valley, the Shamrock Hill Distance Run. Many runners consider the race, hosted by Roanoke Catholic School, the official kick-off to the spring running season. Spring rolls in on March 20, the day after the Shamrock race.

Last year more than 300 runners finished the Shamrock race, which will start on Gilmer Avenue in front of St. Andrews Catholic Church in downtown Roanoke. The turnout has neared 600 in past years for both the 5K and the 1-mile fun run, said Debbie Stump, development coordinator for Roanoke Catholic who helps to organize fundraisers for the school.

The race’s flat surface and fast times may be one reason that it draws so many to the starting line. The 5K starts at the intersection of Gilmer Avenue and Jefferson Street, and it turns onto Shenandoah Avenue. It follows Shenandoah through 15th Street and then circles through Centre Avenue before looping back to the finish. One short and steep hill looms up Jefferson Street on the way to the finish on Patton Avenue.

“It’s one of the flattest 5Ks that we’ve got here,” said Amy Rockhill, a Roanoke runner who has run the Shamrock race for the last five or six years. Rockhill usually sports a kilt at the race, a tribute to the Irish holiday.

This year, though, she's helping at the finish line with the Star City Striders, Roanoke’s local running club that will operate the race's finish line area.

Organizers moved the starting line for this year's race back one block, to Gilmer from Wells Avenue, to give runners more space to spread out before nearing a bottleneck curve at the corner of Jefferson and Shenandoah in the first part of the race, Stump said.

Race times for the 3.1 mile run since 2001 have been as fast as 15 minutes 35 seconds for the men and 17:53 for the women, according to race results. Last year’s top women’s finisher was Bonnie McDonald of Roanoke in 18:51. Adam Dickerson of Boones Mill won the men’s race in 16:45.

Like most local races, proceeds from the Shamrock race will go to a good cause. The money raised is contributed to scholarships for children to attend Roanoke Catholic, which enrolls students for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The Roanoke Catholic Educational Foundation sponsors the race, and two Roanoke Catholic parents, Tom and Sarah Wall, organize the parent volunteers.

Last year, the school raised more than $11,000 with the race, one of its largest fundraisers during the year, Stump said. Typically, an auction that the school sponsors in the fall raises the most money each year.

Food is a welcome treat for finishing this race. You’ll find a large array of bagels, fruit and other healthy fare available in the school’s gymnasium after the race is over. Enjoy food, door prizes and runner fellowship before heading to the noon St. Patrick’s Day parade and other festivities in downtown Roanoke.

Shamrock Hill details:
Saturday, March 19
9: 15 a.m., 5K
8:30 a.m.,1- mile fun run

Race day registration:
7:45 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.

Cost:
$20 race day registration fee
$10 for Roanoke Catholic students; $35 for five or more runners from the same Roanoke Catholic family

Packet pick-up:
March 18, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Race day, 7:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Awards:
Top three overall men and women receive awards, awards for age group winners
Prize for the best St. Patrick’s Day costume
Proceeds benefit the Roanoke Catholic Educational Foundation

Upcoming races:
April 2: Charlottesville 10-Miler, avenue.org/ctc/tenmiler
April 16: Charlottesville Marathon and Half Marathon, www.charlottesvillemarathon.com/index.html
April 23: Vinton Baptist Dogwood Challenge 5K, dwoods@vintonbaptistchurch.org