Animals and runners alike gathered in the Bishop Arts District for the “Dash for the Beads” 5K race on Saturday.

Despite the rainy mist and cold temperatures, approximately 600 runners and 60 pooches attended the event.

“Runners are crazy – we’ll be out here in the rain, cold – doesn’t matter,” said Raven Patrick, who dressed as a Superwoman for the race.

Participants were of all skill sets, including serious running enthusiasts like Mike Hummer, who finished the race in first place with a time of 17:17.

And also beginners, like Larry Thompson and his daughter Samantha, who brought along their dog Brandee to participate in her first race.

Decked out in green, purple and gold, Thompson said he and his family are going to make the event a tradition because of how it “brings the community together.”

In between the two extremes was the 80s-themed trio of Kathy Sledge, Claire Bentley and Megan Hernandez.

The friends are in the midst of training together for their first marathon.

“The beads got annoying but the wigs weren’t so bad,” said Hernandez, who sported a baby pink afro, neon orange Spandex and a leotard.

Other participants like David Pinilla and his wife, Robin, enjoy the event because of its lightheartedness.

“We love Halloween and anything costume-y! At last year’s dash, we were Willy Wonka and a naughty Oompa-Loompa,” Pinilla said.

A plethora of businesses including food trucks, Pomeranian adoption agencies and a heated beer garden were all there for a good cause — the grass-roots non-profit organization FIDO Oak Cliff.

“Through our community efforts, we were able to partner with ‘Dash for the Beads,'” Michael Reagan, FIDO’s founding board member, said.

Partnering with them for the event was “a windfall for a small organization like us.”

Since October 2010, FIDO has been working tirelessly to build the first community dog park in Oak Cliff.

A variety of small events throughout the past year, like small, ‘pop-up’ dog parks, have helped the FIDO team raise awareness about their organization and gather support for their cause.

The biggest roadblock, Reagan said, is that Dallas Park and Recreation operates on a “suburban destination park model.”

In other words, the city requires that city-sanctioned dog parks have five or more acres of land and hundreds of parking spots ­— parameters not feasible for a small neighborhood park.

“We all like big exciting things, there’s nothing wrong with that…but sometimes neighborhoods just need some small things to make a difference,” Catherine Dodge, FIDO’s founding board member, said.

FIDO plans on using the money to move forward and secure an agreement between the Oak Cliff community and the city.