Racing season is upon us once again! I’m looking forward to the cooler temperatures and fun races. I’ve been doing a lot of trail running lately, so it seems fitting that my first race of the season was the Night Moves Trail Races half marathon by Trail Running Over Texas. This race was run through the lovely trails of Stephen F. Austin State Park, and, as the name suggests, at night.

Start time was 8 p.m., so I made my way to the start at around 7 p.m. I met up with friends and trail regulars, and took the requisite pre-race photos. The race director gave us the skinny on the course: three water crossings and about half a mile of mud to get through after the mid-way aid station. It didn’t sound too bad.

The race was four laps of ~3.6 miles. There were also 5K and 10K races happening at the same time (staggered starts). Lined up at the start, almost everyone was decked out in glow sticks or neon lights. The race was 80s themed, and there were plenty of runners dressed in fun costumes. That and the disco ball at the start/finish line made for a colorful evening. I loved the festive vibe at this race!

The course was in good condition with only a couple of muddy spots in the first half of the loop. The back half is where the fun began. I was able to jump the first stream we came across, so that kept my feet dry for a bit longer. The next two water crossings were wider and unavoidable. Luckily, my trail shoes drained very well so my feet didn’t feel soaked. The mud was a different story—heavy, sticky mud. I ran through it like I’ve seen faster runners do, and I was able to get through with very little problems! Who knew? My shoes did hold on to the mud though so it felt like my feet were 20 lbs heavier. I had to stop several times to shake it off.

I arrived at the venue well before start time so parking was very easy for me. The two aid stations were well stocked and the volunteers were fantastic, as always. Also, there was a reasonably priced food truck for the spectators and post-race food.

The course was well marked, and the two different courses were easy to distinguish (the 13.1 course split off from the 10K/5K at one point). The distance turned out to be about one mile longer than 13.1 (my GPS recorded 14.2 miles).

Overall it was a great race that I would definitely do again.

Read my full race report here: http://wp.me/p5QgLn-38