As they have for 25 years, amateur and professional drag queens in the Nation’s Capital donned their best stilettos, pumps and slingbacks for the annual High Heel Race in Dupont Circle.

A precursor to Halloween, the beloved event drew some 70 runners who hobbled, leapt and sprinted down 17th Street as thousands of straight and gay onlookers cheered everyone on.

“People just think D.C. is just a lot of politicians,” race organizer David Perruzza told the Washington Post. “This is one of the prime examples of why it’s such a fun city.”

Click through for a slideshow of High Heel Race entrants

Images via DB King, Matt Dunn. Video via Scott Wallis/Swish Edition