10:05 AM: Today’s first big event is on – the Float Dodger 5K, which started this year in waves – above, the first wave, Team Triumph. Others followed:

The Float Dodger takes participants along the West Seattle Grand Parade route on California SW from Hiawatha to The Junction, this year “dodging” the West Seattle Rotary‘s float pre-parade. West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) presents the Float Dodger 5K, and told us this morning that more than 520 people had registered! Following the 5K, it’s root-beer-float time. Results are here; fastest finisher was 34-year-old Steve Raswey Ng’etich, in 15:31.

More video, and photos, later – next up, the parade starts in about an hour (and California SW along the route will be closed until it’s over in early afternoon – usually reopening segment by segment).

ADDED 3:14 PM: First female finisher was 40-year-old Megan Heuer, in 18:39:

Before the 5K, the Kids’ Dash got everybody pumped:

Race founders and presenters Tim McConnell and Lori McConnell of West Seattle Runner presided over the morning’s events:

They’re donating race proceeds to West Seattle Food Bank, which was on site too:

Also on site, Lake Washington Physical Therapy‘s West Seattle clinic (WSB sponsor) proprietor Mark Bouma and kids:

The race was dedicated to longtime West Seattle running-community member Helen Lee, a Float Dodger participant going back to the first year. In her memory, people are invited to donqte to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition‘s Southwest Washington chapter.