The 37th annual 17th Street High Heel Race went off without a hitch Tuesday evening as dozens of drag kings, queens and others dashed a few blocks on 17th Street in D.C. to the cheers of crowds lining the sidewalks, streetery bars and restaurants.
On a night where Vice President Kamala Harris delivered her campaign’s closing speech close by on the Ellipse, costumed revelers jammed the sidewalks of the Dupont Circle neighborhood, snapping pictures of elegantly dressed drag queens parading between P and S streets in Northwest.
At exactly 9 p.m., racers wearing high heels ran south on 17th Street to the delight and cheers of thousands of spectators.
A few moments later, the racers crossed the finish line, some gasping for breath from the sheer exertion of the competitive run.
Security was heavy for the event, with big trucks used to close intersections, sealing the neighborhood for the race hosted by Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs.
See photos and video below.
