Written by 
Erasmus the dragon appears to be watching runners queue at the starting line for a fun run that commemorates his fourth birthday
Erasmus the rooftop dragon was unveiled four years ago on April 13, and Renton celebrated his fourth birthday yesterday morning with a Dragon Dash fun run and party. City of Renton Recreation Division and volunteers did a wonderful job organizing the festive event.
If you haven’t heard the story of Erasmus’s creation, it’s covered well in this article.
There were both 5K and 10K runners in yesterday’s birthday run, and the whole event was great fun. The cool morning weather was perfect for the almost 300 runners and walkers that had signed up. Dragon theming was abundant, and the organizers kept the event running smoothly. Participants were given Dragon Dash shirts and snacks at the end of the race, along with a chance to try to pull a sword from a stone and be photographed with dragons, while the children hunted for dragon eggs.
My wife Cathy and I had a delightful time participating. With wonderful people, lovely nature on the Cedar River trail, exercise, and dragon theming all right here in our own downtown…who could ask for more?
To make the morning perfect, Cathy and I started off with coffee from Common Ground Cupcakes and Coffee, the charming cafe where the creative idea of Erasmus was first conceived by Renton Arts Commissioners and locals artists (see the MyNorthwest article above for this story).
(For those readers not familiar with Erasmus, he can be found looking down on Wells Ave South, near the corner of South Third Street.)
Looks like fun! I love going to Common Ground and seeing the dragon across the street.
That looks like fun. I’ll enjoy going next year!