I haven’t shared a race recap since the half marathon back in December of last year, so it’s high time for some more of my running life on this blog! (By the way, a full Peloton Tread review coming shortly…it’s my newest running gadget!)
A few months ago my friend Kathleen texted a group of fellow mom friends and said, “who’s up for a Margarita run in June?!”
I met up in downtown Austin with three of my girlfriends for a fun night of running and hanging out. This race is a BLAST.
About The Maudie’s Margarita Moonlight 5K
The Maudie’s Margarita Moonlight 5K is a fun run that supports the Trail Conservancy. It’s a $65 entry and there were more than 2,000 people running, so hopefully that brings in a fair amount of money to this amazing organization that keeps our epic Austin running and walking trail in good shape! I love running, but I love running even more when I can do it for a good cause.
The packet pickup is in east Austin at the Trail Conservancy headquarters. I was in the area earlier so I swung by and picked up all 4 race packets and dropped them off on my friends’ porches.
The race happens in June and it’s an 8 pm start time. Hence the name “moonlight run!”
The swag this year was pretty good! All runners got a Cirkul water bottle and a bunch of cartridges, a shirt and timed running bib, 2 tickets for free margaritas at the post-race party, and then Athletic Brewing was at the race handing out a bunch of free beers (including their new summer flavors!) There was also a big Maudie’s Nacho Buffet where you could serve yourself a big boat of nachos with all the fixings (queso, beef, jalapenos, guac, salsa, pico.)
The Actual Race Recap
Overall recap: honestly, it was a fun, easy, well-orchestrated race! The race seemed to be run well and started right on time. They had plenty of water, plenty of portable bathrooms, and a fun after party.
My only complaint is that the line for the Maudie’s food got so long. We were some of the first ones in line and breezed through, but about 15 minutes later I glanced over and the line was several hundred people long. So maybe adding a few extra nacho stations could be a good addition for next year.
Ok, my friends…if you live in Austin this is no surprise to you, but it was HOT!! Like, 94 degrees and so dang humid at 8 pm.
I’ve been doing lots of treadmill running lately, so I kind of forgot how brutal the hot humidity is! I was running and chatting with my friend, and by the final mile I was like, “so sorry but I literally can’t talk right now!” Haha. I just had to focus on running…and I wasn’t even going fast!
Like, I literally looked like I had been dunked under water by the end of this dang thing. #embracethesweat.
The race starts at Auditorium Shores (right in front of the Long Center) and crosses South First Street bridge, and then it’s an out-and-back on Cesar Chavez.
At the beginning of the race, all four of us started out together and chatted a bit, and then by the first water station we kind of got separated. I ended up running with Catinca and Courtney and Kathleen were running partners for the rest of the race.
I’m very much a solo runner, so it was fun to mix things up with a bit and run with a buddy for this 5k.
The After-Race Party
I’ve done so many races, and the post-race area is typically a place that I scan through, grab a few things, do some stretches, and then head home.
But since this is a night race and they had free margaritas for us, we hung out for a long time and it was so much fun! The four of us got our nachos, our margaritas, and we found a soft grassy area to sit and chat for over an hour.
Since it was 9 pm by this point, the sun had set, the weather had cooled, and there was a nice breeze. Once my body stopped sweating (and it took a minute, y’all…have I mentioned it was HOT?!) it felt so nice to be out in the warm evening.
Final recap? I just want to tell you to SIGN UP FOR THIS RACE NEXT YEAR! Gather a group of friends and make a night of it. It’s fun, easy, and just made me feel so happy to be running in downtown Austin. Bonus that it’s supporting a great cause: that epic 10 mile trail in downtown Austin that we all know and love and use all the time.
