The Slatington Walnut Street Playground Association held its last fundraiser for the year at the Slatington Trail Head on Main Street under a clear blue sky Saturday while sunlight warmed the 35 runners for the 10 a.m. Running of the Nuts 5K.

"It's a playground fundraiser but also a way to get people to Slatington and get on the trails," playground association member Robert Stettner said. "The course we have is flat, scenery is nice. The D&L Trail is great."The $25 race registration cost will be put toward general playground maintenance."We will need a new roof for the refreshment stand soon," Stettner said. The runners were broken down into age groups with the top three winners of each group receiving trophies.Michael Mengle, a runner for over 20 years, finished the trail first in less than 19 minutes."It's a great course, the people are really friendly," the Slatington resident said of the Walnut Street mini-marathon. "I'm always trying to improve my time. I'd rather run harder to warm up," he said of the cool morning climate.Laura Schoenberger of Danielsville took third place in the women's division. "I ran the half marathon earlier this month," Schoenberger said. "I like this time of year. It's cool and the sun is shining. Definitely better than running during the humid summer."Marie O'Donnell of Tamaqua put the 3.1 miles under her feet Saturday morning, saying, "I like supporting local races and causes."Bagels and bananas were served to the athletes after crossing the finish line where Woody Geary recorded each runner's time. The playground association will resume its fundraising efforts in 2016.