(KSDK) - There were exhausted runners, tearful family members, and loving tributes. Saturday's 2007 Komen St. Louis Race for the Cure, with more than 65,000 people, packed downtown with walkers, runners, and those who were there to support others.
Warm temperatures greeted those taking part, but the temperatures didn't seem to dampen spirits.
Hundreds of corporations and individuals formed teams for the race, many with their own distinctive shirts. The most noticable shirts were the pink ones, worn by breast cancer survivors. Thousands of survivors walked in the Survivors' Procession.
A little while later, a sea of runners and walkers lined up, stretching for several downtown blocks, As the clock ticked down to zero, they took off, a mass of people running and walking the 5k. But the running itself was just a small part of the celebration of life.
Race winners were:
Male winner: Jacob Swearingen, Potosi, Mo.
Female winner: Hannah Blalock, Poplar Bluff, Mo.
Survivor winner: Beth Reichert, St. Louis, Mo.
Wheelchair winner: Casey Adams, Ellisville, Mo.
Tens of thousands of people arrived early, many by 6 a.m., to begin the day. Stories and hugs were shared easily among both friends and strangers.
Many of the runners and walkers wore or carried signs telling the crowd who they were racing for.
More than $27,000 were raised from the NewsChannel 5 phone bank during the race. The race as a whole raised more than $2.5 million Saturday.
The proceeds from the race benefit the Komen for the Cure foundation, which raises money for research and awareness of breast cancer. The foundation is named after Susan G. Komen. To learn more about the foundation, click here.
People at the race who want to share their cell phone pictures can send them to firstname.lastname@example.org.