KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Crowds of runners sped through the streets of downtown Knoxville on Saturday, twisting around World's Fair Park and over the Clinch Avenue bridge.
It was for the East Tennessee Children's Hospital Butterfly Run, which returned this year after taking last year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, officials said more than 1,300 runners participated virtually.
Runners gathered at World's Fair Park Saturday morning for the in-person event, while participants across East Tennessee also had the chance to run virtually in their own neighborhoods. There were also different distances people could choose from.
They could take on the 5K or the 10K, while families could enjoy a family fun run or go for a walk. The run benefited the Pain and Palliative Care program at East Tennessee Children's Hospital, which works to relieve symptoms of different medical conditions and improve patients' quality of life.
The 5K took participants from World's Fair Park to the children's hospital in the Fort Sanders area, before bringing them back. The 10K too runners through Neyland Drive and up to Tyson Park, before running through the Fort Sanders neighborhood and back to the park.