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The Ugly Christmas Sweater Run
Dec. 19th, 2015 06:25 pmOne of my resolutions this year was to do the Ugly Sweater Run. That I accomplished one of my goals and am surprised by the accomplishment... well, it's been that kind of a year.
This is not your usual 5K. For one thing, where most running bibs have a timing chip, this one had a tear-off strip good for a free glass of Sam Adams beer. For another, runners and walkers are not segregated. They sent us out in flights roughly 2-3 minutes apart - just fill up the chute, give a pep talk, and away we go! (If you stood all the way to the right, you could high-five Santa as you crossed the line.)
The hydration stations had hot chocolate along with water, and instead of a t-shirt or sweatshirt or finishers' medal you got a really ugly hat. A REALLY ugly hat. (But warm!) And there was a caroling group in front of Inner Harbor.
The sweater, tutu, leggings and Christmas crew socks look was particularly popular. As were dogs. In Christmas sweaters. (I got a photo of a golden retriever in a santa suit, looking happy. But then, they all do.)
There were a couple thousand people there, possibly more, so I couldn't tell you what "flight" I was in. I saw runners across the first loop of the bay easily 10 minutes before I got to go, and there were at least 3 flights after me because that's how many sets of runners blew past as I stumped along. I myself stumped along at a pace that put me with the back-of-the-pack walkers of the previous flight. (Santa suit, as I know what you're going to ask.)
Dangerously, the path of the run takes you right in front of that big Barnes and Noble on the Harbor. On the return leg, my bladder was making itself known and so I stepped in for a bit.
It gives you some idea of how leisurely this race is that I used the bathroom, checked the Science Fiction section to see if I could get a replacement copy of Lords and Ladies (no), sniffed around the cooking section, bought a couple of books, walked back to the finish line, picked up a cup of hot cocoa, *finished it* and was walking back to my car... past people who were still straggling in.
This is not your usual 5K. For one thing, where most running bibs have a timing chip, this one had a tear-off strip good for a free glass of Sam Adams beer. For another, runners and walkers are not segregated. They sent us out in flights roughly 2-3 minutes apart - just fill up the chute, give a pep talk, and away we go! (If you stood all the way to the right, you could high-five Santa as you crossed the line.)
The hydration stations had hot chocolate along with water, and instead of a t-shirt or sweatshirt or finishers' medal you got a really ugly hat. A REALLY ugly hat. (But warm!) And there was a caroling group in front of Inner Harbor.
The sweater, tutu, leggings and Christmas crew socks look was particularly popular. As were dogs. In Christmas sweaters. (I got a photo of a golden retriever in a santa suit, looking happy. But then, they all do.)
There were a couple thousand people there, possibly more, so I couldn't tell you what "flight" I was in. I saw runners across the first loop of the bay easily 10 minutes before I got to go, and there were at least 3 flights after me because that's how many sets of runners blew past as I stumped along. I myself stumped along at a pace that put me with the back-of-the-pack walkers of the previous flight. (Santa suit, as I know what you're going to ask.)
Dangerously, the path of the run takes you right in front of that big Barnes and Noble on the Harbor. On the return leg, my bladder was making itself known and so I stepped in for a bit.
It gives you some idea of how leisurely this race is that I used the bathroom, checked the Science Fiction section to see if I could get a replacement copy of Lords and Ladies (no), sniffed around the cooking section, bought a couple of books, walked back to the finish line, picked up a cup of hot cocoa, *finished it* and was walking back to my car... past people who were still straggling in.
