2011 Fiesta Fandango

Course Review

Barefooters
Apr 3, 2012
110
2
18
Reviewed By: talonraid

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Date Reviewed: 04/16/2011
Review Type: Race
Barefoot Friendliness: 1 Excellent

Location:
Sunken Garden
3875 North St. Mary's
San Antonio, TX

See map: Google Maps
This was the annual fun run right before the end of Fiesta in San Antonio.
Overall the course is flat and a combo of cobblestone streets and some worn smooth chip and seal asphalt. It was really a nice smooth surface for barefoot running. The only thing I've run on that would have been nicer is some smooth concrete.

Now to the race stuff: Most people get dressed up in some sort of costume for the run. Since it is not chip timed, is only 2.6 miles, and it really is just a "fun run" there are only a few serious runners who are "in it to win it", the rest are just there to enjoy the run.
The registration and initial check in is done at the Sunken Gardens right by the San Antonio Zoo and Breckinridge park.

Then, they had a judging for the various costumes. Busses arrived to carry everyone downtown to where the race starts and then picks you up at the finish line for the return trip. There is no parking near the start area and the finish line is not near the start. The busses started shuttling everyone about 4:30 p.m. and the race didn't start until 6:40 p.m. so there is a lot of standing around in the street, waving at spectators, taking pictures with kids, etc. That part is actually a lot of fun for the people who get dressed up because all the kids want to take pictures with you as long as you're in costume. If you show up in shorts and a t-shirt, you'll probably be bored for the most part.

When the race finally started I had accidently gotten back towards the back of the pack talking to some people about barefooting so it took me a while to work my way up and out of the main group of really slow-pokes. However, along the way the crowd is going crazy and cheering for you and most of the kids will line up on the sidewalks and extend their hands for you to run by and slap hands with them. It's a blast. I was dressed as the Easter Bunny (in a kilt), so I was a hit with most of the smaller kids and of course when the adults realized I was barefoot they were cheering me on. I heard a lot of "hey, that dude is barefoot!", "Go Easter Bunny!", "Barefoot...that's badass dude!", etc.

It really was a fun race and the surface was the best race surface I've run on so far. The only negative thing was as we were approaching the finish line there was one of the race coordinators who was standing there and cheering everyone on and giving "high fives". That's cool. But, when he looked up and saw me (barefoot freak) coming down the chute he literally lowered his hands and said "Oh, look at this idiot", then turned away from me. That was not cool. I was really kind of pissed off by it, but figured if I made a scene or got in the dudes shit it would probably just give him and other BF haters more ammunition to use against the "barefoot zealot cult". Overall, a fun time and I will probably do this one again next year.