* From: Jeanine Peirce
* Event Details
Groupon Price: $25
Parking: Right on site & only $5. No bag check.
Vendors: I know there was a beer tent, but didn’t visit since I was with family/kids.
Schwag: The bling is cool. Kids love that it glows in the dark.
Location: Brockton fairgrounds, MA
* Race Details
Packet pick up (cotton tshirt, race bib & if purchased, glow paint) was at Sports Authority in Braintree, all day Friday. It took over an hour to get through the line Friday evening, but we did get a 15% off coupon to use at the store and everyone was friendly. Volunteers answered questions and apologized for the wait.
The glow paint purchased was definitely worth it if only for the fact that my 12 year old son let me paint his face & he did mine. Word to the wise–go to thick & it will peel off once dried. It does wash off hair & skin easily. It is not supposed to wash out of clothing (have not washed the shirt yet) and a part of my car may forever be pink. Yes, line your seats with trash bags. You will make a much better visual on the course with LED style glow items rather than the snap bracelets and necklaces–something to consider for your pre-race purchases.
The course was a very short 2 miles run over the grass and tar of the Brockton Fairgrounds. Many were disappointed that the advertised 5k was not 3.2 miles. Runners were requested to arrive 45 minutes to 1 hour early. There was no check in at the race site, so we are not sure why. Everyone simply clustered and waited to run through the start gate. I imagine that this allowed anyone to run whether registered or not.
I would recommend that the orange cones used to mark the course have some type of glowing device on them in the future. It was easy enough to follow the course by glowing humans, but in the darker areas, the edge of the course was hard to see. This became an issue when trying to pass baby strollers and walking groups. There were a few area of pot holes and speed bumps that caused some runners to trip up (all minor).
The DJ did his best to psyche up the crowd, but needed a better sound system to be heard at the start line. The runners loved the freebie glow items he tossed down to each heat (glow sticks, rings and some much cooler items like LED gloves). Each wave counted down & was released onto the course. There were a few stations with black-lit tents where volunteers pumped glow paint onto runners. Unless you stopped in the tent, you didn’t get to appreciate how cool you really looked. There were also black lights placed along the course and near the stage where runners stopped for photo-ops. I do not know if there was a race photographer.
This course was very family friendly. Many young children were out on the course. There were also many in strollers. Even with the short distance, there was a water station.
The finish line was pretty crowded. Once you made your way through you realized that volunteers were off to the side handing out bling. This is another area that they could have used glow lighting to emphasize the area. The medal glowed, though maybe only in black light. It was impressive, especially to the kids.
The after party, had we stayed, looked really fun. Great dj/stage area with lots of glow freebies being tossed to the crowd of glowing runners turned dancers/ravers.
Fun and easy, family-friendly race.
* Rating
Average
