Photos are here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/ETWQF44DzKQpR3BT7     

Before the start: My  10^th race of 2024 was the Street2Feet 5K held on February 18^th, starting and finishing at Hangar 9 on Brooks City Base aka “Brooks”, formerly Brooks Air Force Base.  Hangar 9, built in 1918, is the oldest built US Air Force aircraft storage and repair facility.  It was named in 1976 as a National Historic Landmark and is now a special event facility that can be rented for various functions.  For this event it was used as a base for the 15^th year of the Street2Feet 5K, housing some of the event’s sponsors, supporters, vendors, etc.  It also conveniently has inside restroom facilities, so no port-a-potties required.  Put on by iaapweb, a topnotch local race management company, the Street2Feet 5K was started by Race Director Lana Hernandez as a wellness program for individuals experiencing homelessness in San Antonio. I recall doing a few of the early ones at the Haven for Hope location in downtown San Antonio.  This event is a fundraiser for the program and also accepts gently used running/walking shoes, clothing, equipment, etc., to be used by the program participants. I arrived onsite with a little over an hour to go until the 8 a.m. start time. Having picked up my race packet on Friday, I had plenty of time to chat with friends, vendors, other participants, and got a few pre-start photos. Although it was a bit chilly – 37 degrees with a ‘feels like of 35 – we had lots of sunshine and a light wind, with periodic gusts of about 5-10 mph, so much better than the 5K I had done the day before with periodic 30mph wind gusts.

On the course:  Prior to the main event, there was a kid’s run, and then 5K participants began lining up. iaap does not mess around, they start their events right on time, and this one was no exception. We lined up on one of the hangar’s service roads – for getting supplies, equipment, etc., close to the hangar – and  started out right at 8 a.m., with a horn signal. The course was an out-and-back done on a couple of the Brooks City Base streets. The course is very flat, not a hill to be seen, and the roads are really wide, with ample room for all.  I did my usual 8-min-run/2-min-walk thing and took photos during my walk breaks. I do confess, though, there was so much going on along this course – cheerleader teams which were numbered and involved in a contest for the Best Oncourse Cheer Team; some people in costume along the route, and so forth – that I did make a few “non-scheduled” stops to take a few more photos before my timer signaled walk-break, and then got back to running.  The longest stretch of the course was when we made a turn to go to the turn-round point, that was a long haul. After making the turn-round we continued right into a head-wind – thankfully it was pretty much only on this street in one direction – and then went back to the finish the way we had come out, except we were on the opposite side of the road we had first come out on.   

 After my finish: There were 401 finishers for this event. In my 70-99 age group, there were 6 finishers, and I ended up being 3^rd, with a chip time of 41:01, averaging 13:12 per mile. My speedy friend, Jim, was first in our age group and another speedy Jim was 2^nd.  It’s obvious they train well and do their “Jim” work. Yes, pun intended. When my name was called for my placing, Lana also announced that I was a runner who had done all the Street2Feet 5Ks since it started, so this is a ‘streak’ race for me.  Another cool thing:  For everyone who had participated in this event for at least 10 years, they had each of our names on a cardboard placard right by the finish line, very cool.  Post-race I also enjoyed chatting with other participants, enjoyed some of the post-race goodies – and there were quite a few – and, of course, took post-race photos of happy finishers, supporters, etc.

Epilogue:   This is one of my very favorite events – in my personal Top Ten list of races I like doing – and is always well-done.  I recall one of the very earliest ones being done near Haven for Hope in downtown San Antonio.  Very nicely  laid-out course on Brooks; a nicely designed race shirt; pet-and-stroller friendly; lots of post-race goodies and services from the various vendors, some of whom had some pretty cool merchandise for sale; also massage chairs which several participants used; lots of parking; and, as noted before, those indoor restrooms sure were nicer than port-a-potties.  There were also a few local running organizations and running companies represented, such as San Antonio Road Runners – the oldest San Antonio running group – Fleet Feet, which had one of their locations as pre-race packet pickup;  Brooks Running – I did this event in a pair of my favorite Brooks running shoes – e-Dragon, another local race company that also sells running products; iaap also had a booth; they sell some really good products too; and more.  This one is definitely a keeper for me, as you probably already figured out, lol, since I’ve done them all. Mucho thanks to all who made this one happen for we participants: iaap; race director Lana and all her crew of volunteers; all the many race sponsors/vendors, our race MC; all the cheer-people along the course for us, and anyone else involved. Thank you all so much! I would definitely recommend this one to others.  The Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, lol – see y’all at this event next year.