Ten years after Mike Rutka was killed by a passing vehicle while training for the Twin Cities Marathon, his sister, Sandy Richter, still feels emotional when thinking about him.

But Richter fought back tears Sunday and joined about 200 other racers in the Run Like Mike 5k at Gallup Park. Richter, 41, of Ann Arbor hadn’t run in a couple of years, but said she felt her brother urging her on.

“I love to come out and celebrate his life and imagine Mike cheering us on with that goofy grin,” she said. “It’s bittersweet. I have moments of joy and moments of tears at the run.”

Rutka was a creative director who wrote commercials for McDonald’s - and perhaps enjoyed the products a bit too much, resulting in high cholesterol in his 30s. That’s when he developed a love for running that continues to inspire.

“Mike started running late, so people can do whatever they put their minds to,” said Mike Ward, a former colleague of Rutka’s.

Besides the 5k, Run Like Mike also included a kid’s run, a walk and Jason’s Walk, a walk for those with cerebral palsy, named in honor of Jason Koller. The 5k runners started the day, and the event concluded with runners gathering around and cheering on Jason’s Walk participants.

Steve Picucci, 29, originally from Brighton won the 5k. Picucci is the cross country and track coach for Ferris State University. “I just wanted to see where I was at,” he said. “I just started training again this summer.”

For budgetary reasons, Run Like Mike cut back on some expenses - like a race-scoring service that used to cost $1,500. Because volunteers are scoring the race, full results will not be available until later in the week, director Kathleen Gina said.