West Boulevard was home to more than the casual strollers and dog walkers Sunday morning.

In the cool, fall-like air, about 35 runners and walkers cruised down West Boulevard from Kansas City Street to St. Patrick Street and back to benefit the Club for Boys.

The Club for Boys Fun Run and Walk is one of five special events the nonprofit organization holds every year, executive director Scott Bader said. In its past two incarnations, though, the run was a 5K.

"There aren't a lot of short runs like this," Bader said. "We thought it'd be a little different, since more and more organizations are doing this kind of thing."

Christin King, 10, and her stepdad, Cody Young, ran together as they have done for three years now.

Running is a hobby they both share, they said while stretching before the race. They've even completed a 10K run together.

"I like to go out and run because it makes me feel good," Christin said. "I like it, because my dad used to do it when he was a little older than me, too."

Seth Volk, 29, Brenna Wells, 21, and Cassandra Barr, 22, have been running all summer.

The South Dakota State University School of Nursing students ran a half-marathon in Spearfish earlier this summer to benefit CASA and heard about the Club for Boys run at the Runner's Shop.

"I just started on a whim," Volk said. "The first time I ran 4 miles I thought I was going to die. But we just kept doing it every day."

And after the half-marathon, West Boulevard's two miles or so was a welcome change of pace for the nursing students.

"It's just a warm-up," Barr joked.

Contact Emilie Rusch at 394-8453 or emilie.rusch@rapidcityjournal.com.