Thousands brave the rain for the 2023 Broad Street Run

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Thousands of runners hit the road on Sunday for the Independence Blue Cross Broad Street Run.

The race started at 8 a.m. on Broad Street near West Fisher, and before long the rain moved in.

"About 4.5 miles, it was dry, then the rain continued to build up, build up, and then the last 5.5 miles were hard rain," recounted runner Mike Ricci of Collegeville, who ran with his wife Linda.

Due to construction on Broad Street in the Navy Yard, this year's run ended on 11th, between the Wells Fargo and Lincoln Financial Field.

More than 28,000 runners made their way ten miles down Broad Street.

"It was very wet, but the reason why we're running is for the American Cancer Society, and my dad has cancer so we ran all ten miles in the rain for him," said teacher Becky Pearson of Downingtown.

While the rain wasn't optimal for everyone, some saw the bright side.

"It went great, it was amazing. A lot of runners actually like the rain. It's cooler. It was a great race," remarked Rahkeim Miller of Germantown.

"It went really well. I appreciated the rain because it wasn't so hot. It was great- the energy was really good," said first time participant Ernie Hermosisima of Merion Station.

It's that energy that draws so many people back year after year.

Despite the weather, the crowds gathered to cheer on friends, family, and even complete strangers.

For many runners, this is a favorite: city sites and lots of Philly pride.

"Vibe is great. The city comes out everyone, everyone and their mothers. And their mother in laws probably," said Rahul Yadav of Cherry Hill.

"Amazingly enough, in the rain, a lot of people came out to cheer us on. I think every neighborhood- people were out in the rain cheering us on. We thought that was great," added Ricci.