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Run/Walk Kicks Off Woodward Dream Cruise

ROYAL OAK (WWJ) - The Woodward Dream Cruise isn't all horsepower -- there's foot power, too.

Speaking live on WWJ Newsradio 950, Dream Cruise executive director Tony Michaels said it took three years, but Saturday morning finally saw the first-ever Cruise In Shoes 5k run/walk through Royal Oak.

"We pulled it off. Woodward wasn't closed for more than 40 minutes just between 13 Mile and down to Normandy. It worked out wonderfully, 700 runners in the first year," he said.

The run/walk began at 7:30 a.m. on Yorba Linda Blvd. and gave participants a rare opportunity to run on historic Woodward Avenue, winding through several Royal Oak neighborhood streets before reaching the finish line at Shrine High School.

Michaels said proceeds from the event are going straight back to the communities.

"The proceeds will go to the various cities which, of course, put on this great Woodward Dream Cruise," he said.

The Woodward Dream Cruise, which officially runs from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Saturday, typically draws between 500,000 and 700,000 onlookers and 40,000 cars, depending on the weather. Forecasts call for sunny skies and a high of about 75 degrees this year, which makes for perfect cruising.

The Dream Cruise takes place along a 16-mile stretch of the legendary Woodward Avenue through eight host communities including Berkley, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Ferndale, Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge, Pontiac and Royal Oak.

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