With the pandemic around, runners are finding that races are hard to find. Race organizers are having to come up with different strategies to host a race. The two types of races are the in-person race and the virtual race. In-person has the runners at a site and with safety modifications actually run a race. The virtual race has the runner sign up for the race, run on their own time and location, report the results to the race headquarters and get the race shirt and possibly a medal.
An example of the in-person race is the Red Arena 5K/10K Hill Country trail runs in Dripping Springs on Oct. 18th. This is a fundraiser for the non-profit therapeutic riding center Red Arena, located in San Marcos and Dripping Springs. The race is on a private ranch on some wide and well maintained trails. Looking at some of the photos of the area, the run will be very scenic and enjoyable. It might be worth the time just to go and view the scenery. The day is part of a Roundup Weekend and also includes a BBQ plate and a silent auction for runners to stick around and make a day of it. I remember running in races where the community has a local celebration and people from the area come over for the festivities. Runners knew that this was a race where staying afterwards was well worth the time. The address in Dripping Springs for the Red Arena Trail Runs is 1601 Bell Spring Road. Look at the Athletes Guild website for registration and information.
The virtual example is the Kiwanis Pumpkin Dash 5K on Oct. 31 — Halloween Day — in San Marcos. It is a great race to enter and wear a Halloween costume. The actual run can be run within the next week to count, but with a race called the Pumpkin Dash 5K, it is almost imperative to run on Halloween. The cost is $25 to enter and this includes a race shirt and a medal for those that sign up. Check the Athletes Guild website for registration and reporting your race time. The proceeds from the race go toward scholarships for local students. This race is usually held out at the Toyota Car Dealership and is an out-and-back route on Posey Road. I think it is the only race held out at Toyota and hopefully things will improve for next year’s race to be an in-person race. A good alternative to a full in-person run is to call a group of your running friends together and all run the race at a set location and time.
