That’s how the first-ever “Beat the Burn” 5K run/walk began on Alki this morning. The siren you hear, right after the air horn, was from a Port of Seattle fire truck parked yards away – made sense, since the event raising money for the Northwest Burn Foundation was put on by the Port firefighters’ union, IAFF Local 1257. Among those on hand to cheer the 250-plus runners/walkers was Port Commissioner Gael Tarleton (photo center, in red and black):

Participants spanned a wide age range, with youth participating in the 5K though there was a kids’ dash scheduled afterward. Here are the first two finishers – announced as 14 and 57 years old!

Organizers noted the participants’ geographic diversity too – some from the East Coast (we heard a “Silver Springs, Maryland” finisher announcement go by) and, we were told, even a visitor from Croatia! If you missed the event, you can still help the NW Burn Foundation help burn patients … their online-donation link is here.