Photos are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/NsrDb1ipynWzpnBM9
Before the Start: My 47th 5K of 2025 was the Remember The Alamo Beer 5K, held on August 2nd at Tuscany Venue in San Antonio, just off of 1604 frontage road at Old Fredericksburg Road. This was the 12th year of this event being put on, if I remember correctly, and it was the first event of 5 for The 2025 Alamo Beer Series of races put on by Scallywompus. Participants can register for each race individually or register for all of them at one time and get a registration discount. I usually register for each individually, and especially now, as I just found out I have a recurrence of my skin cancer, so will be getting treated for that very soon, so didn’t want to register for all of them at once, and then maybe not be able to show up for one of them. For this event, there were several distances to choose from: half-marathon; half-marathon relay; 10K; 5K; and 5K competitive walk, in which walkers don’t have to compete against the 5K runners to get age group award. The races were delayed from the original start time, so we all got pushed back a bit; the half started first, followed by the 10K, and then those of us doing the 5K run/competitive walked started at 7:51, if I remember correctly. Scallywompus events are very popular, as their motto is “Come for the race. Stay for the party.” They are not kidding; they throw one heck of an after-party. I arrived well before the start time – as did just about everyone else for their start times, since we were all going by the original start times posted. I found some parking in a lower lot adjacent to the race start/finish area, got my packet, and then got some pre-start photos. There were a lot of people there, with all the participants; volunteers; supporters; vendors, etc. The half marathon had 117 finishers; there were 45 doing the half-marathon relay, which consisted of 3-person teams; the 10K had 242 finishers; and the 5K had 402 finishers; so, as you can see, a very nice turn-out. Since the start times had changed, I had plenty of time to wander here-and-there, chatting with friends and other participant; volunteers; vendors, etc., and get a few pre-start photos.
On the course: The National Anthem was played before the half-marathon starts and then they were off. The 10K folks went next, followed by us 5K participants. We started on the grounds of Tuscany Venue, making a left turn onto Old Fredericksburg Road and going down a short hill, after which we turned left onto an off-road paved trail that is part of the Leon Creek Greenway System. It was nice and flat for the first part of the course, for about a quarter mile, lol, and then we began climbing. The hills are not super-steep; it’s a gradual up-climb, but some of these climbs were pretty long. As we 5K folks progressed onward, we started seeing some of the participants from the 10K – and maybe some o the faster ones from the half – coming toward us as they headed for their finish; some of those participants were moving pretty darn quick too, so I assumed the first ones we saw were the speedy front-runners. As all of us went along, and passed by each-other going and coming, lots of shout-outs to each other of encouragement; I did my usual 8-min-run/2 min-walk since I can’t run non-stop anymore for any great length of time; darn spinal arthritis and degenerative disc disease, which docs told me all my life I would get someday, since I was a March of Dimes baby, born with a birth defect; and it did arrive when I was in my 50s. During my walk breaks I took some on-course photos until my watch beeped at me to run again. When I got to the Mile 1 marker, I got ambitious and just kept running, ignoring my beeping watch for a bit, and got to the 5K turn-round sign feeling pretty good overall. I took a couple of very short photo stops on the way back to the finish, and then for the last mile ran that nonstop to the finish. I ended up with a chip time of 41:44, averaging a pace of 13:26, and I had negative splits too, nice; 13:23 for Mile 1; 13:20 for mile 2; and 13:08 for Mile 3, sweet. There were only 4 in my 70-74 age group, and I was dead last of that group, but knew I’d get an award as Scallywompus goes 4-deep for age group awards, nice.
After My Finish: I got a few photos of some others finishing, including my friend Rick, who’s been dealing with a knee issue but still walks about as fast as I run, lol. His knee is improving, thank goodness, to today he was allowed to run a bit, and he was not all that far behind me, so glad to see he is gradually getting back to his old self. After getting those photos, I then went to my vehicle for about 15 minutes, where I had put some Gatorade and water on ice, and sat there with the a/c on full blast, drinking those, and cooling down a bit, as the temperature for this even was around 78 degrees at start time, and the humidity was crazy. Felt much better after that, so back to the venue area to chat with friends and other participants and get a few more photos of participants, supporters, vendors, volunteers, etc. Also sat a bit with my friend Gilbert, one of the vendors, who always has for me post-race at the same events he and I are at, a fresh banana, and a chair for me to relax a bit in. After chatting with him a while, I was then out-and-about again, getting some after-photos; handing out treats to the doggies there – yes, I carry dog treats whenever I run, lol, which his how I got nicknamed Scotty Dogg by a friend – and enjoying some more of the variety of goodies some of the sponsors/vendors had. Awards ceremony was nicely done by our MC, Anthony Zamora, and Pushbutton Photography got a photo of all the placers. Finally headed home and after that very humid outing, a nice shower felt pretty darn good.
Epilogue: Scallywompus always puts on some really nice events; and their after-parties are really huge, with all kinds of things available, such as Kiolbassa sausage; beer and other adult drinks – I think there were even margaritas if I remember correctly – and there was a vending truck on site, that had a variety of stuff – even donuts – and lots more. Scallywompus does not mess around, lol, when it comes to the after-party. The race shirt is very nicely done, and the finisher medals are huge, and also nicely done. If you do all 5 of the races, there is a ‘letter’ on the back of the finisher medal – this race’s finisher medal had the letter “A” on the back of it- and after you get all 5, it spells out “ALAMO”. I will definitely continue to do Scallywompus races in the future and certainly would recommend them to others. Mucho thanks to all who made this one happen for we participants, including iaap for the timing and results; our music man Paul for all the tunes; all the many volunteers for packet pickup, water stations, course marshals, bike leads, etc.; Tuscany Venue for the use of its grounds and facilities; the law enforcement officers on the short road part of the course, for our safety; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here. Whatever your exercise passion is, may you always have success doing it, and forever stay safe, uninjured, etc. Maybe I will see you at a future event sometime.
Scottydog Reports 