NEW HAVEN - The 41st New Haven Road Race kicked off with lots of heat and humidity right from the start.
Still more than 5,000 runners hit the pavement for the annual and historic Labor Day event. The men's race was won by Leonard Korir from Colorado Springs.
Once you cross the starting line, your only identification is your bib color. Green, blue, and white bibs mark the different races runners participate in--the 5k, 20k, and half marathon.
However, it's the yellow bib that comes far and few between.
"They're called the Streakers and we're down to 10," said Frank Alvarado, the New Haven Road Race's Vice President.
The Streakers are the people who have run the New Haven Road Race every year since its inception 41 years ago in 1978. And they run wearing clothes.
"This will be my 41st year running this race," said Peter Halsey. "I played sports in high school and college and hated to run, but a friend and I decided we were going to do the first New Haven Road Race and we trained poorly for the first race and then I've just been coming back every year."
It's a small group, dedicated to making their mark every year, despite adversity.
"I broke my pelvis right before one of the road races and broke my foot right before another one, so I had to race in a wheel chair," said Halsey.
There are only 10 Streakers left in the world who are alive and running this race today, but there's one person wearing a yellow bib in the crowd who is running a family streak.
"The organization actually called me up in 2014, actually out of the blue," said Craig Lampo, who is running the race for the ninth year in a row. "I didn't even ask them and they asked me if I wanted to take his number over and start running in his name and in his memory, so I think I'll be running this race for a long time."
Bob Lampo, Craig's father, was a streaker. He ran for 34 consecutive years before he died in 2014. His last race was in 2013.
His son, Craig, had the opportunity to run with him for his last 5 races and even helped carry him over the finish line his last one. "It seemed like a great thing to do with him," said Lampo. "I just could never stop running now. It kind of gets into your blood as it was in his. I understand now what was going through his mind all these years."
He's now part of an exclusive club that gets smaller every year.
"I think you have to be a little crazy-- that helps, but also pretty committed," said Halsey on what it takes to stay motivated and come back every year.
"He was a very committed guy, and its a great thing to have him as a father and know he had that type of dedication," said Lampo.