Intermittent sprinkles of rain didn’t dampen the high spirits of 2,200 runners who were in Jefferson Saturday morning to start the Market to Market Relay Iowa. The 300 teams, many in costumes, provided a lot to see for anyone looking for Saturday morning entertainment.
The starting point was set up in front of the Lincoln statue on the south side of the courthouse Friday night. The first teams started the race at 5:40 am; the last started at 9:30, and by 10:15, the starting chute was taken down and Lincoln Way was open for traffic again.
The relay teams ran 75 miles to Des Moines, starting on the rural Raccoon River Valley Trail in the quiet of rural Greene County, with birds encouraging them onward. They finished on urban trails through West Des Moines and Des Moines to the Court Avenue district, where more spectators and more traffic cluttered the soundscape.
The Wednesday Newsday update will include more about Market to Market Relay Iowa. Pictures of 20 teams are posted on the Market to Market Relay Iowa Facebook page, where anyone can vote for their favorite team Sunday through 11:59 pm.
