Hundreds Participate In Fort McHenry 5K
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Walking and running through a tunnel for a great cause. Hundreds turned out for the fifth annual Fort McHenry 5K to benefit the Special Olympics.
Tim Williams has more.
They are walking and running under water for a cause.
"It's for a good cause--Special Olympics and the tunnel run. It is a unique 5K," said runner Steven Mitchell.
This is the fifth year the Fort McHenry tunnel has closed so 5K runners and walkers could make the trek.
"What an experience. I drive this commute five days a week, so this time running through the tunnel on a Sunday morning was just a blast," said runner William Wallace III.
And it's all to raise money for Special Olympics Maryland.
"You had the police academy behind us chanting, so it was reverberating off the walls so I felt kind of like I was in a tunnel of sound," said runner Liz Lange.
The event is hosted by the Maryland Transportation Authority and its police.
"Every year it just gets better and better and better. It's a beautiful day. It's the one event where we can guarantee that every year there won't be any rain on the course. And like I said, over 800 participants this year," said MdTA Col. Michael Kundrat.
Money raised supports the thousands of Special Olympics Maryland athletes. The nearly 1,000 participants for this event have raised more than $40,000 so far.
"I'm a social worker and it's always nice to give back and have a good time in the process," said runner Lachandra Colbert.
"This is what inspires these athletes, the whole Special Olympics thing. It gets them moving. They love it. A lot of them are my friends," said Dr. Gregory Pokrywka. "They are amazing athletes."
