Photos are here:           https://photos.app.goo.gl/bmfTqK4ziiZAJyEQ6

 Before the Start:  After having some in-office surgery for skin cancer on the back of my neck on August 27, my 53rd race of 2025 was the District 8 Through The Decades Activate 5K held on Saturday, September 6^th at UT-San Antonio (University of Texas at San Antonio), for which I am a staff member (will be a 29-year employee with the university on October 5^th, 2025). This was my first race back, after doctor’s order to take a week off from running after the surgery, so not too long. I did a training run two days before Race Day, then rested on Thursday and Friday. Put on by District 8 Councilwoman Ivalis Meza Gonzalez. This was a free 5K for those who did not want timing; for those that wanted to be chip-timed, the fee was five dollars. Race start time was right at 7 a.m., with race-day packet pickup from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m.  San Antonio Sports Activate program provides “free weekly fitness and wellness classes along with 5K runs throughout the year to encourage play, exercise and healthy habits.” With a free & low cost entry fee, you can be sure this event got a really nice turn-out.  I elected to do the timed run. I am not sure how many actually participated,  but per posted results, the timed participants alone had 423 finishers. With the non-timed runners and walkers, it was QUITE the turn-out and a VERY busy and ACTIVATED (pun intended) 5K. I’d guess there must have been close to 800 or more total participants.   Race Day packet pickup was from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m.  I guessed this race, with free entry and low fee for timed runners, would have a very busy turn-out, so I got there very early – 5:30 a.m. – and then got my packet at 6 a.m. After that, I wandered around chatting with other participants, volunteers, sponsors, etc. and got a few pre-start photos.  A little before the start, the Activate folks also led a group session warm-up for those that wanted to participate.

On the course – As a UTSA employee, I run on this campus quite a lot, so am familiar with all the roads, etc.  Normally, races here start and finish at the Convocation Center; however, the Fall Semester has started and there are some Saturday classes, so the main part of the campus would be busy with students walking around, some traffic coming in from 1604 and UTSA Boulevard and so forth, so I expected we would not be going to that side of the campus, and that was correct. We started and finished at the East Campus, which includes a huge parking area just off of Valero Way, across from Valero Energy headquarters. At exactly 7 a.m., a horn blew and we got started.  There were so many in the start crowd, it took me about 3 – 5 minutes just to cross the timing mat. The course was all on paved roads. We made a short loop around a road near the start/finish area, and then went around a curve and proceeded onto a fairly steep downhill – about ¼ mile in length – that took us to an intersection. We turned left here and went up a road that took us toward UTSA Boulevard. At the intersection, we curved to the right, entering a parking lot area, did short jaunt to a traffic cone, went around that and headed back to the road we had been on. We then went up a short incline, took the next right turn, and headed toward the Science and Engineering building. Left turn in front of that, went down this access road, and then turned right. This took us up a short steep hill, that put us into a traffic tunnel that is underneath the UTSA Parking Garage. After traversing this, we exited the tunnel, made a right turn, and this took us to the campus road where the Main Building is. We wound in front of this, did a short jaunt to an intersection, made a right turn, and then were on the road that took us toward the “hill road” we had started on.  This is where I finally realized – duhhhh – this course was going to be 2 loops. The speedier runners who were already on their 2^nd loop, turned back onto the hill road and went to the finish. The rest of us began our 2^nd loop, repeating the same route as described above. Overall, I was feeling pretty good, doing my usual run 8 minutes/walk 2 minutes – can’t run nonstop anymore for any great length of time because of my spinal arthritis – and during my walk breaks took some on-course photos.  When I got to the Mile 2 marker, I then proceeded almost nonstop for that last mile back to the finish, with just a short stop on the hill on the way to the  finish, to get a photo of those in front of me going up this hill right before we finished. After that, I went nonstop to the finish. I ended up with a chip time of 42:13, averaging 13:35 per mile, dead last of the 5 in my age group which, before the start, I expected would happen when I saw who was in my age group, lol .My very speedy friend, Jim, was first in the age group, averaging 8 minutes-and-change; there are some speedy old guys in my age bracket, lol. Me, I’m more of the fun-and-finish kind of guy and my time is what it is.  As long as I finish standing up and there’s no ambulance waiting specifically for me, well then, my goals are met, lol. Anything after that is a bonus. Every finisher was supposed to get a finisher medal, but the turn-out was so large – which is a good thing – that the supply of finisher medals ran out, and I had no heartburn with that. Whenever I do get a medal, I usually throw it into a bag at home; after I get enough of them, I then donate them either to the disabled kids at Morgan’s Wonderland – I was a disabled kid for a while – or to the kids in the Cancer Ward at Children’s Hospital, since I am also a cancer survivor (4 times); I just hate that kids get cancer; no kid should ever have to deal with that and one day I hope that becomes true,.

After My Finish:  I stood near the finish line and got a few photos of other coming in, including a few friends, and then wandered here-and-there, chatting with friends, other participants, supporters, volunteers, etc., and got a few more post-race photos.  Mother Nature had been kind to us and not rained on us during the event, but post-race gave us a pretty good – but thankfully short – downpour, so we got a nice soaking.  The start time temp was 78 degrees, and the humidity was a whopping 83%, so that shower actually felt kind of refreshing to me, lol. Councilwoman Gonzalez handed out the age group medals – each runner who was first in her/his age group – and there were some Spurs Cheerleaders there too; enjoyed chatting with them – super nice people – and got a photo of them. 

Epilogue:  This is a very nicely managed event with a good course – there were several disabled participants I saw on the course, as well as some strollers, baby joggers, and so forth and they all handled the course quite well; no super huge hills, etc, on it;  lots of post-race goodies, including various drinks such as water, Gatorade, etc; nice finisher medals for those that got them; LOTS of porta-potties, so did not stand in line all that long; and plenty of parking for all; the East Campus parking lot is HUGE. I would definitely do this one again and would recommend it to others.

Mucho thanks to all who made this one happen for we participants:  Councilwoman Gonzalez and all her staff members who probably had a hand in helping organize this; the Active folks; all the many sponsor groups and volunteer; all the police officers along the course for our safety; my friends from iaap who did the course setup, timing, and results; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here. Thank you all so much!  Whatever your passion is – running, walking, cycling, etc- may you all have great success and stay happy and healthy.  Maybe I will see you at a future event sometime.