Where/When: May 20, 2017, 12 pm in Stowe, VT
Weather: Mid-60’s and sunny–perfect running weather!
Pre-Race:
Unlike when I did this race two years ago, I got there plenty early, and traffic was not an issue. I met my friend Megan in the parking area at about 11:20, and we were through the bib pickup line in about 10 minutes. There was a DJ playing music, plenty of porta-potties, and a water station right there at the start. We hung out, enjoying the sun and stretching, until about 10 minutes to noon, when we lined up in the starting chute.
On the Course:
The race started right on time at noon, and we set off at an easy pace. Megan hadn’t ever run a 5k before, so we were taking it slow. After the first mile, we took our first walk break. The course was exactly the same as when I last did it; the first mile and a half are on a closed road, and the rest is on the bike path.
There was a water stop at the halfway mark, but Megan was carrying water and I wasn’t thirsty, so we didn’t stop. We took another walk break right before mile 2 to let Megan’s breathing ease up (she has mild asthma). We started running again after only a short break, and ran the remaining mile except for one uphill, and finished just under 42 minutes.
Post-Race:
The finish line was MUCH better organized than last time I did this race. First was a line of volunteers handing out medals, then a line of volunteers with water bottles, and then a final wave of volunteers with Kind bars. It was easy to get one of everything and I didn’t feel rushed or like I had to compete with anybody to get what I needed. Megan and I sat in the grass, stretching and hydrating a bit, before heading to our cars to change for the finish line Brew Fest.
I have to say, this year’s Brew Fest was AWESOME. There were definitely more breweries in attendance than last time, and lots more food options too. There was also cornhole, giant sets of Jenga, and a live band. The lines were never out of control, there were plenty of water stations, and it was just a gorgeous day. For the money, I feel like this is a better deal than the Burlington Brew Fest.
We did a great job of alternating beer samples with glasses of water, and had DELICIOUS food truck fajitas for a late lunch. Samples were being served until 4pm, but Megan and I both left around 3:30. I had to get down to Stowe village for the Stowe Theatre Guild Season Kick-Off Cabaret (which was SO MUCH FUN), and Megan needed to get home to pack because she’s moving next weekend.
All in all, this was a great experience. The Craft Brew Race has definitely addressed a lot of the issues that I had the first time I ran this race, and made lots of obvious improvements. All runners received a medal and pint glass, plus admission to the Brew Fest. There were also festival-only tickets, as well as steeply discounted designated driver tickets, so there was something for everyone. Admittedly, if it had been raining, it would have been a different story because there was no where to get out of the rain, but for the day we had, I have zero complaints, and I would do this race again in a heartbeat.
Have you ever done a Craft Brew Race? If you like beer and a well-organized race, I HIGHLY recommend it.
Sounds like a great event this year!
It was a total blast 🙂
A medal and a glass for a 5k is pretty awesome. Noon is a late start – not too warm?
Sounds like a fun race. Wish I lived closer.
Thankfully it was only about 62 degrees this year, but when I ran it two years ago it was 85! I think they have the noon start because of the Brew Fest; they don’t want people drinking too early.
makes sense.
beer, running jenga, happiness.
Pretty much, yeah 🙂
Lol, I was writing–beer and running, sign me up! And then I saw what Suz wrote, jaja!!
SUCH a fun event! We had a great time.
Somehow you made a 5k sound relaxing! Haha
It really was! The goal was just to get Megan to the finish, so I had absolutely no pressure on myself. It was a beautiful day, a beautiful course, and the beer was delicious 🙂
Most of my thoughts were already made – time vs. beer, temperature, etc.
And I echo the ‘relaxing’ thought – I remember running the Susan Women 5K with Lisa last year … she was really determined that she wanted to do it, in spite of her joints REALLY not liking running at all (arthritis) – to the point where she had a hard time just doing 1 mile training runs around our neighborhood.
She kept telling me to go ahead – but my whole purpose was to do it all side-by-side with her … that was what made it fun! Plenty of walk breaks that day, but it was so rewarding.
It can just be so much fun taking the pressure off yourself and running for someone else’s goals!
YES! It was so much fun, and Megan was so proud and happy, and that’s really what it was all about.