Nearly 35 years after his father captained the St. George team, 10-year-old Mark Mariani couldn't hide his excitement Sunday as he waited to follow in his dad's footsteps.
Donning the traditional sash, fazzoletto and royal blue shirt to represent St. George, Mark guided his teammates through Jessup's streets as part of the children's Corsa dei Ceri, one of the St. Ubaldo events held annually.
The run, similar to the adult race held Saturday, involves three teams carrying representations of St. Ubaldo, St. George and St. Anthony through the town. It's a more than century-old tradition brought to Jessup from Gubbio, Italy, organizers said.
"I have watched the adult race before, so I am really excited for this," Mark said, before taking off.
As someone who has participated in the run for about 10 years, 14-year-old Hunter Strackbein said "it used to be a lot more intense."
He said he can easily carry the items he once thought were "ridiculously heavy," such as the statue or sword. But Hunter still looks forward to the run because it's a great community event.
"It's a fun time to exercise and hang out with all your friends," he said.
A Mass honoring the saints, as well as the Alzata - or Raising of the Saints - preceded the run.
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