Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away and the early festivities and sales are already in place. For runners it means the Bluebonnet Lions Club Thankful Turkey 5K is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 22 out at the Baptist Church on McCarty Lane. The draw for this race is the awards that include a turkey for first, a ham for second, and a pie for third in the many age categories. If first place would rather have a ham then second place gets the turkey. Registration is $35 and includes a T-shirt until they run out.
And if a runner wants to help others with a Thanksgiving meal, the Lions are collecting canned goods to give out to the Food Bank also. If a runner still needs to enter, check with the Athletes Guild for information about registering. The race starts at 9 a.m. so with daylight hours it will be good running. The chances of seeing deer as spectators is also a good addition to the race. It is an out-andback course on McCarty Lane and is a nice scenic run. Be forewarned that there are some hills on the course. See you out at the race next Saturday. I’ll probably be at the turnaround point.
The fact that this race starts at the Baptist Church had me recall many of the different race locations the last ten years or so. When running races started back in the early 1980s almost 75% of the races started at the Courthouse Square. I remember one summer I either monitored or directed eight straight Saturday races one time. There were other areas that had races but circumstances usually forced a cancellation after one year.
The Chilympiad 10K out at the Civic Center found that arriving chili cookers setting up and runners trying to finish a race just didn’t get along. Post Road back when Moss Cliff Restaurant was on the outskirts of town added apartment complexes and traffic. Lime Kiln Road has too many blind curves and gravel trucks to be safe. Moe’s Better Half started at Jim’s Gym but crossing the railroad tracks often caused problems either registering or finishing. Jim’s Gym had a 5K course, a 10K course, and the half marathon course at one time. Tanger Outlets had a 5K, a 10K, and the half marathon starting there. Between the Outlet adding fees to use their parking lot and the subdivisions that kept appearing with added traffic, it became dangerous. The hospital had a neat 5K course but it was all on state or on access roads and the necessary certification from state agencies put that race to rest. Crockett Elementary School had a run through the neighborhoods and had parking but traffic and the number of necessary volunteers for direction made it difficult to continue.
The Courthouse Square run where so many races were held met with growth in this area and the need for regulations to prevent liability and the fact that Hopkins Street was a state road and needed permits and liability insurance from DOT. The city wanted a parade permit and police traffic control and the necessary fees that went with it. A small organization wanting to put on a race for raising funds for their charities just couldn’t afford to put on the race.
Finding a location to put on a race without too many costs or traffic problems is one of the main reasons races are now scattered all over. Most races now are out at the soccer fields and through the Blanco subdivision or in the Country Estates subdivision. La Cima is a new location and has promise for smaller races. The trend to trail races is increasing because of this growth in this central Texas area from Georgetown to San Antonio and most cities restrictions. I have mentioned a few of the races in San Marcos but nearby towns that were popular running communities are now facing the same growth and restriction problems that come with growth. Running in a race is still very popular with people and with new locations it is a new challenge.
