Cardinal O'Hara's Leprechaun Leap

Cardinal O'Hara's Leprechaun Leap - race #2

My first ever snow run! Sporting the same green attire I wore from last week's run, was about the only similarity between that race and Cardinal O'Hara's High School's first ever Leprechaun Leap on March 16. Compared to the warm, sunny skies at the Shamrock Run, this St. Patty's Day theme race featured temperatures at 38 degrees, windy conditions and snow flurries. Visit Leprechaun Leap to watch video of the race.
Arriving at the high school, my husband Kevin picked up our bibs and T-shirts (the long-sleeve black shirts with green tux iron-on were awesome) and lined up on the school's new track. Proceeds from the event will be used to help complete O’Hara’s stadium complex, which includes the purchased of equipment to host track meets. Soon we were off for the first loop of the what Kevin's sister remembered from her O'Hara track team days as, "the monster." The runners, including Kevin, seemed to be at top speed and they sprinted the one lap around the track before heading off towards the front of the school.

Rounding the front of the school, we turned left and towards the athletic fields. The route was clearly marked with arrows, while student council members helpfully directed us around the route and shouted out our splits. Switching from pavement to a rocky path, I was careful not to trip on the uneven surface. Reaching the very edge of the woods and a grass surface, we circled the baseball field, ran a few small rolling hills (and one hay bale jumping obstacle) before returning back to the track.

Large, chunky snow flurries began falling as we started our second loop. I'd much rather to run in the cold, and it was fun to run in the snow (without the accumulation). After one more loop, and a lap around the track, we crossed the finish line with a time of 28:21. Since Kevin is a teacher and an alumna of O'Hara, it was fun to see a number of his students and old classmates cheering him on.
A great race and hopefully even more runners will take part in this next year. Grading on the route, ease and cost of registration, T-shirt appeal and the overall fun factor I give this race five sneakers out of five.

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