INTRO: I am Scott aka Scottydog, runner since 1983, cancer survivor, retired Air Force, friend of dogs, fun-runner, and all-around goofball.  In 2003 I had spinal arthritis flare up and ever since then I’ve done the run/walk method since it hurts my back too much now to run continuously with no walk breaks.  I’m on what I call my “2F Plan” which stands for Fun and Finish.  At events that I now do for fun I carry my camera, chase “Great Legs” to help motivate my slow old man self to keep moving forward, and take pictures before, during, and after the race. Sometimes I even get a nice post-race sweaty hug from one of the Great Legs ladies.   I then do a pictorial race report of my events.  I also carry dog biscuits with me to treat any dogs I may meet at a run, hence my nickname “Scottydog.” Here is yet another of my Race Reports With Photos, and my thanks to all the people I interacted with for their graciousness and good humor in letting me take photos of them.

SHORT VERSION REPORT

Race #31 for me for 2013.  Night-time event starting at 8:30 PM.   Held at Retama Park, the local horse-racing park in San Antonio. Event supported Aerial Athletics, an acrobat/athletic organization for kids.   Quite a nice turn-out, maybe 500 - 600 participants, runners and walkers, maybe a bit more.     This was a fun run and the only awards given were to the first female (did not hear what her time was) and the first male, who finished in 18-something. After me having an endoscopy on Thursday and taking stuff to "clean out' my system on Friday, and then my Saturday morning 5K being cancelled, I guess the rest did me good because I ended up with a finish time for this one of 32:11 (average 10:23 per mile which is pretty speedy for a slow old dog like me.

LONG VERSION REPORT WITH PHOTOS

The goodie bag for this event included all kinds of things to wear (necklace, bracelet, etc) for the participants to 'glow" while going along the course.  Also, the dark blue shirts with "Get Up and Glow 5K" on the front, seen worn by some of the participants in the photos here,  are the race shirts for this event, and the letters on this tech shirt do glow when hit by light. There were also 'glow stations' along the course route,  where participants could grab glow sticks and carry those during their run or walk.   The course was in part of the Retama Park parking lot and along some roads adjacent to the park.  Very nice route, very flat.  And, thankfully, the weather cooperated with no rain.  San Antonio was quite flooded out in several places during the morning hours after receiving 12 inches of rain in two days, so just about all the morning events were canceled/postponed.  I guess Mother Nature decided to be nice to us for this event, the rain had cleared out by the evening hours. It was a tad humid, but we had a nice breeze and a temp of around 78 degrees.  So thank you, Mother Nature!

BEFORE THE START

I got to the start/finish area about an hour before start time, got my race packet and then took some pre-start photos. Several folks were wearing items that would glow in the night, had luminous stuff on their faces, etc.

C'est moi!  Your host for this report, with two lady runner friends.

Don't remember the names of these folks..but as a 'dog' myself, I remember Molly The Dog...and I did give her a treat

Our MC (green shirt) and our music-playing DJ

Sorry about the blur, snapped this in a hurry just before the start. This young lady sang the National Anthem for us beautifully just before the start.

My running friend and 'running crush'   Bernadette.  Who did her usual speedy finish. She does just about as many races each year as I do...and she actually RACES hers.  And places in just about every one of them!  Impressive.

ON THE COURSE

My camera is not the greatest 'night camera" so the folks are hard to see, but I was trying more to show all the "lighted up folks'' on the course, so hopefully that comes through. The course was from the parking lot, two loops on the adjacent road, and then finishing back in the parking lot.

I'm a dog..I PLANNED to get the fire hydrant in the photo.

AFTER THE RACE

Lots of "Happy Finishers", along with lots of post-race goodies, including various flavors of fudgesicles (mmm mmm good!  And a nice treat after a humid run), and lots of 'glowing stuff around, including this....

Shades of the 70s!  Mini 'disco ball" going around and around...

As for the "Happy Finishers"...sorry about some 'red eye' my camera flash is pretty bright in the dark.  We kind of all look like a gathering of runners from "Dark Shadows" or the Twilight Saga, lol.  Still, I think these came out fairly well for being taken in the dark with my El Cheap-O camera....

This lady's spectacles actually glowed in the dark

This ballerina would spin that necklace thingy she was holding and it would light up as it spun around

Love the tyke in the stroller, looking up, like "What the heck is going on up there?"

EPILOG

This is the 2nd annual running of this event.  I also did the first one last year.   I plan on continuing my 'streak' next year, as this is one fun event and one of the rare night-time events held in San Antonio each year.  Well organized, good course, lots of fun folks participating, nice post-race goodie, and door prizes too!  None of which I won, darn the luck. In spite of that, still had a blast!

That does look like a fun run.  Glad you weren't rained out.

Nice report Scotty, I have only done one night race and it was alot of fun.

Good running Scotty! Look like fun.

Two things of note.......

#1.)  Two chicks at the same time.

#2.)  That looks like a friggin BLAST!!  (Being a nocturnal runner & fan of glo-in-the-dark anyway)

I lied 3 things......

#3.)  As I said in the other thread......NOBODY lays down the pics like Scotty......NOBODY!  

Now this is a "Glowing" report.  Nice going Scott.

Looks like vast last Scotty! And nice time for the week you had.

Thanks for the RR.  That looks like fun!  I could never do it, of course, because I fall down in the dark.