DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Thousands of people came out to Day Air Ballpark on Saturday, but not for a baseball game.
On Saturday, July 15, more than 2,200 people were signed up for the 13th annual Dragons 5K, whether to walk, run or even push a stroller.
2 NEWS’ Kelley King and Living Dayton’s Liza Mahachek emceed the race and even Heater and Gem cheered on the participants from the sidelines.
Kyle Klingler, this year’s fastest finisher, currently lives in Cincinnati is a Troy native.
“There’s a lot of pride being from Troy, Dayton, Ohio, so I went to Dragons Games growing up as a kid. So it was a blast,” said Klingler, the first male finisher.
To many, the Dayton Dragons are more than just a baseball team. They’re a part of the community.
“The Dayton Dragons do a good job of reaching out to the community and being a part of the community, and so that’s why we like to show up because we want to show them that we appreciate them and what they do for us,” said race participant Paul Stebel.
“The running community is a big community in Dayton,” said Eric Deutsch, Executive Vice President of the Dragons. “I think this is the second-largest 5K in the community behind the Air Force Marathon. So it’s great to engage with this group of people, get them to the ballpark, into a game and have a little fun along the way.”
