Once up on a time right at 6 years ago I decided that I wanted to run a half. I helpfully decided that if I was going to run a half so was DH. I’m cool like that. We were both running regularly, just not doing any races so this isn’t a couch to half thing it’s more like a running with dogs to half thing. I found a training program by someone named Hal Higden that a friend at work told me about when I complained that the training plans on RW were crazy complicated. This training program instructed us to find a 5k and a 10k along the way to the half to get a little race experience.

I selected one solely by where it fit in our training calendar. It was something called a Hog Jog, sounds fun. It turned out to be sponsored by a barbeque contest meaning that when you cross the finish line you got a plate of barbeque and beer, lots of beer, as much beer as you want. DH was SOLD on the idea of running races, OMG OMG has this handing out of beer been going on under our noses all this time?!?!!111ONE

The next year it was very similar; 5k, barbeque contest, beer, bands, heck of a party. The MIL came along and had a great time.

The next year it was a 10k and in a different location but still with the barbeque contest and hoopla.

The year after that the barbeque contest was gone. A barbeque restaurant sponsored the 5k. It was moved again back to more or less the original location. MIL came again and brought along her idiot boyfriend for us to meet. Kind of an odd scene but the overall race deal was much the same.

That brings us to last year, the race was suddenly much much smaller. There was still beer and barbeque but it was yet a different restaurant sponsoring it and I think they were planning for a much larger crowd. They were giving out bottles of barbeque sauce and near the end of things instead of handing out a bottle to everyone they were giving out cases. It was summer before we had to buy any more barbeque sauce.

Which brings us to this year. We had wondered after last year if this race was going to vanish, but it was on the website again. The MIL was going to come but we talked her out of it because things seemed odd about the race, like no sponsors, none, the back of the shirt is totally blank. I’ve never seen that before on a race shirt. I usually go online to see if there is going to be beer, you know see the list of sponsors and didn’t see any sponsors there either. We got an email the day before the race that if you wanted to run without getting a shirt you could still register for $10 so that’s not a good sign.

The LRS that puts these races on has this thing called a Grand Prix series. People pay up front for a whole batch of races and there are points for race times. I don’t know how it works really but I think the fact that this race is one of the races in that series is the only reason it actually happened.

So the actual race, we showed up and there was really not a whole lot going on. The chip pick up tray was tiny. The highest number I saw was 200. Oh NOES a small race and worse, everyone who was there looked FAST. I’m sure that was the Grand Prix crowd. I was worried that I would, in fact, finally have that distinction of being last. The volunteers were really nice, I don’t want to take anything away from them. I just don’t think they had much to work with.

The race started and well, I took off running with the other 185 people according to the results. I think “normal” around here is about 500 runners for a 5k that isn’t on Thanksgiving Day. There was a firemen / police 911 memorial and stair climb event going on, we ran past them and they cheered us on. That part was fun. The cops who were directing traffic seemed a tad bit grumpy and I wondered if it was because they drew the short straw and had to do traffic duty for us instead of being with their little friends at the stair climb.

We finished and just kind of left. They have always had a bloody mary contest at this race. I’ve never done it but heard it had been canceled.

I fear for this race. I know that races come and go especially 5k’s, but since this is the first one I ran in when I first got started doing races I sort of have a fondness for this particular one and hate to see it go. It is kind of strange to call it a “hog jog” when there is no barbeque thing going on. Every year until this year there was a guy in a pig suit at the finish line. This year there was none of that. I grew up in a small town, this race seemed more like something they would put on back home than here.

I didn’t finish last at least, close I was 151 out of 185. Also my results are exactly a minute faster than my watch had. DH’s too and someone on FB so I don’t think they did the timing mats right.

As for the running thing, DH signed up for an ultra in January so he’s gone a long way from “a HALF MARATHON, woman are you NUTS”.

Sorry it wasn't the same. Closest I've been to one  like that is they had pancakes before the race. Who eats pancakes before a race?

Congrats on the race though.

The weekend of the Crim Festival of Races here is also dead in terms of action at other events.  I ran a 5k that weekend in 2011 that had less than 30 runners!

Congrats on finishing higher than you thought!

I've finished DFL.  They don't shoot you.  

Congrats, a race with barbeque would be awesome.

I wonder why things started going downhill for this race? It sounds like it was a great time at first. Anywho, congrats on your race! That's some lovely bling you've got!  *headdesk* I'm getting my RRs mixed up. That's what happens at the end of the day. Time for me to go!