Photos are here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/C7xK4Tr4XLGV5PwS9

Before The Start:    My 17^th 5K of 2023 was the April Fool’s 5K on April 1^st at 5 pm. This was my second 5K of the April 1 – April 2 weekend, after having done the Northside Education 5K ion Saturday morning Put on by Soler Sports, this event was held at McAllister Park. Since it was an April’s Fool’s 5K, the event held a few surprises in the awards area. This was also the birthday of my late friend and best-est running buddy for over 20 years, Bernadette Beck, who died of cancer on Dec 5, 2021.  She would have been 66 years old  today.  In honor f her birthday, I brought some cupcakes and cookies for people to enjoy post-race. She was very well known in the running community, with lots of friends. I arrived around 4:15 pm, got my bib number and race shirt and then got a few pre-start photos.

On The Course: With it being April Fool’s Day, I was not sure if this would be an actual 5K or maybe we’d go longer; or shorter.  It turned out it was an out-and-back on one pf the park’s paved roads, and then  a short distance to a turn around point on one of the parks off-road paved trails, and the distance did turn out to be 5K.  Our MC, however, had told us before we started, to do something as we came across the finish line – jump, dance, roll, handstand, whatever – and a prize was going to be given for the ‘best’ finish.  I actually ended up feeling pretty good for this event and ran most of the last 1.5 miles nonstop.  I ended up with a 43:13 finish time in my 60-69 age group, 6^th out of 9, which included my speedy friends Rex (1^st) and Woody (2^nd). As for a  finishing act, well I am not too flexible lol, what with arthritis and recently finishing cancer treatment, so I just did a small jump when I finished, not too impressive at all…and glad I did not hurt myself, lol. I then got a few photos of some other participants coming in, including my friends Carolyn and her dog, Lucy.  

After My Finish:   Really nice goodies post-race for this one that included beer, sausage-on-a-stick, bananas and other fruits, water, of course, and more.  Very nice post-race spread.  Being April Fool’s Day, the awards were crazy and funny, lol.  First place finishers got an award, and then there were all kinds of different awards, lol, sometimes for 5^th place, sometimes for 8^th place and other different places, too funny, and also awards for the best ‘finisher act; for doing such things, when finishing, like one-handed pushups, flips, dancing into the finish, and lots more.  It was lots of fun; some of these finishers were quite inventive with what they did. For being a PM race on a very busy race Saturday, with lots of local area races, this one had a pretty nice turn out, with 112 finishers.

Epilogue: This was the First Annual April Fool’s Day 5K and hopefully not the last. It really is a fun event, with lots of good people showing up.  Very well organized by race director Lisa Haby Soler with the help of Tony Garcia, MC Anthony Z, food prep guy Gilbert and his help crew; music-and-sound man Paul, and all the many volunteers out there. I will certainly do this one again.  Nice finisher medals to all and nice quality race shirt. Mucho thanks to all the people I noted above that made this one happen for us, as well as Alamo Beer Hall, listed on the back of the shirt, so I am assuming the race sponsor – good post-race beer too. Anthony Zamora did his usual great MC job; and a personal and very heart-felt thanks to Lisa and Anthony for having everyone sing Happy Birthday to my running bud, Bernadette for her Heavenly birthday; I was very touched by that, almost started bawling on the spot. All-in-all, a very nicely done inaugural event.  Hope this one grows as it continues, it really is a fun event. Also, thanks to the iaap crew for doing their usual great job of timing and results and to the park police officers out there for our safety.  Thanks also to anyone involved I may not have mentioned here.  Thank you all.