The sun shone on Evanston Saturday morning as racers lined up at the Lakeshore Shuffle 5K Run & Walk starting line. The city hosted the event for the first time, a 5K run along Evanston’s lakefront.

The city started planning the event in January, according to special events coordinator Amanda D’Agostino.

D’Agostino said the city is making a sustained effort to increase the number of athletic events it holds.

“We do a lot of movies, we do a lot of concerts and we do a lot of sports programs, but we don’t do a lot of runs,” D’Agostino said. “We have the Zombie Scramble, but that’s more of a fun run, it’s not timed. We wanted to do an athletic event that was timed to have that competitive side of things.”

The process required coordination with several city departments, including the Traffic Bureau, the Evanston Fire Department and the Evanston Police Department. The city also coordinated sponsors for the event, including Goldfish Swim School, Title Boxing Club and the Commonwealth Running Company.

The race welcomed a wide range of participants, from experienced runners to people who walked the race, according to the city’s website. The event drew approximately 150 runners and walkers, according to D’Agostino. Participants could register in advance or on the day of the race.

“We had up to 300 spots and we got halfway there, which for a first time is amazing,” D’Agostino said. “(I) couldn’t have asked for a better turnout.”

Racers received a medal at the finish line, as well as snacks such as granola bars and Gatorade. Runner Scott Kiamm was the first to finish the race, with a time of 18:44.67.

Some regular runners came out to run the race as a way to engage with the community.

“I run with Evanston Running Club, and someone advertised it,” Mark Specht said. “I thought it was really nice work to come out and support the community.”

For others, like Physics Ph.D. student Anya Abraham, the race marked a milestone in their running journey.

After crossing the finish line in her first competitive race, Abraham said she felt “a little tired, but completing the run was especially rewarding.”

Julie Windsor Mitchell, the executive director and campus minister at University Christian Ministry, ran alongside Abraham and encouraged her to register for the race.

“This is my third 5K that I’ve run in Evanston, and I was telling all the students that I knew that ‘You guys should come out and run with me,’” she said.

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