St Patrick’s Day Road Race

Puff your way through a 5k, earn your Guinness. The morning sprint, held two hours before the start of the parade, attracts weekend warriors and couch potatoes alike; for every wiry marathon type, there’s a stocky middle-aged man loping along in a green tutu. Live music precedes the South Boston race, which happens rain, shine or hurricane (seriously: a Nor’easter back in 2010 made things ... interesting). The race has an altruistic streak, too, benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Boston, so rest assured that your pain is worth someone else’s pleasure. The first 500 entrants proudly don the official long-sleeved race shirts designed by one of the race's most famous sponsors, Southie's own Celtic punk rock group, The Dropkick Murphys.