Over 1500 supporters of the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund gathered at the Baylands last Saturday for the annual Moonlight Walk and Run. The event raises money for The Palo Alto Weekly Holiday fund at the Palo Alto Baylands last Saturday.

Participants could do a 5K Walk or Run, 10K Run or a Half Marathon. A virtual option was also available for those who couldn’t attend in person. 

Many cross country athletes took part in the event including senior Kenji Tella who took first place in the 5k run and senior John Miller who took second. Junior Eoin O’Connell won the 10k. Before the race Miller said he was excited for the event. 

“I think it’s a really good opportunity to run a fast 5K and to just have a ton of fun,” he said. “I’ve heard that it’s a lot of fun, and I mean, it’s another opportunity to shake out my legs and get used to digging deep for a race (for) the upcoming cross country season. So, it’s kind of a good, pre-race race.”

(Senior Diego Diaz attended the Moonlight Walk and Run for the first time for the opportunity to race but also for the opportunity to give back to the community. “It is the first time I’ve attended,” Diaz said. “I am very excited. I’m signed up to do the 5K. I signed up to run competitively, but we’ll see. It’s for charity, so everyone is doing a good thing out here.” 

Gunn senior Josey Albrecht said the event is something he tries to do every year. 

“I’ve been coming here for a long time, practically half my life,” Albrecht said. “So it’s a big thing for tradition. I’m a stickler for tradition, and I love seeing the sunset on the baseball field. It’s a really cathartic experience.”