Even before Lori and Tim McConnell opened their one-of-a-kind West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor) in 2010, a holiday-lights run was a tradition. Tonight was the night they gathered runners and walkers in their shop for a celebration with something extra. First, a group photo:

Then, off on a route that, as usual, was scheduled to head east of The Admiral District, with highlights including music-synched West Seattle Lights (3908 SW Charlestown), about a mile away:

As the McConnells reminded everyone, it wasn’t a race, just a lot of fun. Some brought strollers, some brought dogs. And when they got back to the store, they were scheduled to celebrate’s Tim upcoming milestone birthday – we got a peek at the cake:

By the way, WS Runner isn’t just for experienced runners – they nurture beginners too – and toward that end, they’re about to launch a new round of the free couch-to-half-marathon program Get Fit West Seattle, with an informational night at the shop, 7 pm Wednesday, December 27th.