I had an overall positive experience at the Big Tex Run 5k.

The start and finish lines for this race were located on Randol Mill Rd, directly in front of the Texas Live! Facility in Arlington, Texas. This area is perfect for this type of event, as there is plenty of room to warm-up, stretch, and wait for start time. It was also good for parking, as there is a large lot directly adjacent to it that is quite convenient to use, except if you were needing to leave prior to 10:30 a.m. If you needed to leave before that time, it was better to park in the other lots in the area about 3-4 blocks away walking distance. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to drive out since the streets surrounding the parking lot were closed off for runner safety until that time.

The race started on time as scheduled at 8:30 a.m. I found the course to be comfortable and easy to run on, with wide, ample streets which allowed me to find a straight line quite quickly among the approximate 200 other runners. The course views are also great as the route goes around the Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium as well as the Texas Rangers Globe Life Field. The course markings were also easy to follow and there were some volunteers posted on the few turns it had on it. All of that helped me get into a good rhythm and cadence from early on and all the way to the finish.

After crossing the finish line, I had to leave for my hotel right away because of a work commitment, so I wasn’t able to stay for the post-race party. However, my cousin who ran the 10k shared that they did enjoy the live music and free beer that was provided there and had a good time.

We did experience a few issues that were likely caused by a shortage of volunteers during the event:
- No signs or staff directing participants to the exact spot for packet pickup, as the location indicated on the race website was not correct
- Only one person at a table off to the side from the finish line attending to the handout of medals

That being said, I feel that this is an event with a lot of potential because of the attractiveness and comfort of the facility where it is held as well as because of the course around it. Hopefully the volunteer situation can be resolved next year, and if so, this can definitely be an even better race in the future.