Golden Legs 5K Pub Run (Race Recap)

I want to share with you my favorite beer song: B Double E Double R U N= Beer Run

Saturday night, a bunch of my friends and I participated in our very first 5K Pub Run, which was hosted by Golden Legs Running.  For the $40 registration fee, you got a 5K 'race', a cool t-shirt and beer at each of the participating pubs/restaurants.  Let's break down the race.

The Preparation:
I have never ran and drank beer at the same time.  Usually, I run and THEN drink beer.  Having never trained for an event like this, I was pretty apprehensive as to how I would react with foamy beer in my belly running in 90 degree heat.  It is a faux pas to toss one's cookies on the course- I didn't want to be the initiator of a puke fest on Seymour Ave.  Surprisingly, the more beer I drank, the better I ran (or so I thought)!

The Course:
The course was mostly up and down Seymour Ave. in Mundelein.  The course was rolling hills with only one nasty intersection to cross.  We did have a course marshal helping us cross the road safely- thanks Tom!  At the beginning I thought it was cruel to have so many hills on a Pub Run, but the last mile or so was downhill.  After that 3rd beer, you could really get some momentum going and just roll on into the last beer stop.

The T-Shirt:

The Front of the T-shirt

The Back of the T-Shirt

I LOVE the t-shirt that was given out at the race.  It is a cotton t-shirt, which I would rather have instead of a technical shirt.  I will certainly wear this to train at the bar for my next Pub Run!

The Beer:

Thank you to all of the participating restaurants/pubs!  Every stop had plentiful, cold beer to sip so runners could gather their strength to make it to the next pub.  The first stop on the tour was Bill's Pizza & Pub. Besides have nice, cold beer on tap, Bill's is also known for their good pizza.  The next stop on the tour was Jake Moran's (sorry, no website!).  Jake Moran's is a lovely local bar that serves magnificent hamburgers, as well as, yes, you guessed it- beer.  Our third stop was Park Street.  Park Street is a great restaurant that has the best grilled oyster appetizers.  The final stop on the tour was the new microbrewery in town, Tighthead Brewing Company.  And guess what?  All they serve is FABULOUS beer!  The post-race party was here and appetizers were catered by Park Street.  

The Pit Stop:

There was one water/pit stop on the Pub Run.  This stop was hosted by A Taste of Paris at mile 2.  Claude provided runners with cool water and homemade chocolate chip cookies that were to die for!  They were warm and the chocolate was ooey gooey.  The best 5K water stop ever!

Overall Impression:

The Pub Run was a great way to spend a Saturday evening.  The course was challenging, the beer was cold and it was a fun time with friends.  My goal was to finish the run in under an hour.  We finished in 59 minutes- a PR for a 5K pub run for me!  Would I run another pub run again?  You betcha!  

Thank you to Golden Legs Running, Bills Pizza & Pub, Jake Moran's, Park Street, Tighthead Brewing Company and A Taste of Paris for a great evening.