A few days before the event, race management sent out an email about parking. Because we had been having so much rain, parking at the brewery was going to be limited (it’s mostly grass parking and the ground was saturated), but they arranged for alternate parking at a nearby church. I showed up early and didn’t have any problem finding parking at the venue.

I made my way over to the starting line to wait for my cousin; I didn’t have to wait long because he was already there. We took our requisite before pictures and warmed up. Several minutes before gun time, we were warned about the potholes and loose gravel in the first and last quarter mile. Then we all walked to the start line. I bumped into some friends that I hadn’t seen in a while as I made my way to the start, and we chatted a bit. Then, we were off!

The course was nice and flat, and fantastically shady. This was great because, even with a 7:30 am start time, it was hot and humid! I ran this race last year, and I think the new course was much better and had more tree cover. After crossing the finish line, I talked to my friends and then waited to cheer on my cousin (it was his third 5K). He finished with a PR! The nice part about finishing was the MC announcing runners as we crossed under the banner. That’s always a nice touch.

We grabbed some water and then got in line for the finisher’s pint glass and beer. There were three beer lines—two outside and one inside the brewery. But with a sold out race, the wait was still long. Although, I have to say, it was an improvement over last year where the glass and beer lines were separate. This year, they combined the lines, so we only had to wait once.

More pictures, and then we settled down for the award ceremony and raffle.

The event was well organized and reasonably priced for what we got. Packet pick up was a breeze, and we had three opportunities—Thursday, Friday, and the morning of the race. The shirts were a nice soft tech, which I like because they feel more like cotton. And of course, the finisher’s pint glass was well done. Our bib came with four tabs for 8 oz of beer (two at a time gets you a full pint), and we had four beers to choose from. Other post race refreshments included bottled water, sports drink, and fruit. Food trucks (3) were on site at additional cost. The volunteers on the course were great! There was at least one active intersection that didn’t have police presence that I feel should have. Also, at one point in the first half police were stopping runners to let traffic through.

Overall, I had a great time at a great place with friends and family, and I will definitely be running this one again.