Let's Flamingle 2019 Race Report

Click the photo to sign up for this year's race!

So, again, in my quest to do at least 1 race per month, I was at a loss for any good April races. I ended up finding this one... it looked easy, different, and welcoming, and it came with cool swag and a medal, so for $35, I took a chance on it!

A much better description of this race, from their website

Information about Awesomesauce Events

Run by a group called Awesomesauce Events, they put on a 5k, a10k, a half-marathon (on two different days), and a two-day challenge (either two 10ks, or two half-marathons)! Whew... I'm tired just typing that!

I made my way south to Ocala and arrived in a timely fashion (with no speeding tickets like in years past), scoring a good parking spot right near the pavilion.

Great parking spot, close to the start and the bathrooms

I headed over and picked up my packet and my swag, before going back to the car. When I registered, they asked me what name I wanted printed on my bib... assuming they weren't going to do anything fancy, I put !~Awesome Amy ~! as a joke, but lo and behold, it wasn't just printed on there, it was handprinted on there!  So, score for Awesomesauce. Besides my bib, each runner also got a 16oz tumbler with the race logo on it.

My bib and tumbler

I headed back to the start area, and the run director addressed the "crowd." She was explaining that this race wasn't like other races; the 5k would go a half-mile up, then turn around back towards the start line, then return back along the trail to the turn around before returning to the start line. Confusing? Yeah... moreso for the 10k and half-marathon people. 10k people did the same thing, but at different turn around areas. The half-marathon people would run a certain number of out-and-backs, collecting a rubber band upon each 'back' to denote how many times they'd run... and upon their final 'back' they can turn in their rubber bands for their medal. 

The Race Director is standing on a bench

Confused...?

Yeah, this is the entire group (minus those who are already running)

Yeah. I hope there's signs.

Lookin' cute with pigtails today

The course itself ran along the Baseline Trail, which is a lovely place to run.

Flamingo down! Flamingo DOWN!!!

The very high-tech first turn-around

As they say in St. Olaf, Helgenbargenflergenflurfenberfen

Returning to the start/finish, part 1

At the 'end' of the out-and-back, there is a table, manned with Awesomesauce staff and volunteers; they have medals, they have rubber bands, and next to it is a massive table full of snacks, which acts as a fuel stop for the 10k and half-marathon people. Once I reached this table, I turned around for the further out-and-back.

Any idiot can run as far as you will today... It takes a special kind of idiot to not even bother

Just a reminder: You're awesome and your butt is perfect

Running is a mental sport and we are all Rose Nylund

Sorry if we made it weird... and if we didn't, just give it time

With absolutely no fanfare, I finished with at official-unofficial time of 54 minutes. As you can see below, there were a big whopping 18 (!) people who did the 5k. No, that's not a typo.  Eighteen people. The 10k had 8 runners, and the half had 34 runners.

And yet, I still wasn't last!

I hung around afterward to see some of the other runners come in, while enjoying the absolute plethora of post-run snacks they had to offer: Little Debbie snacks, candy, crackers, canned soda, water, milk, and about anything else you can think of.  Also, I never do this, but I bought a tank top and a sticker (that I later turned into a magnet). 

 

Three bucks or so, the size of a playing card

The Sloth Society tank, in 3XL

Back of the shirt (my shirt is green)

After a quick medal selfie, I was done. 

Oooh, those flamingo-themed nails, girl!

I hit the mall in Ocala for a quick Chick-fil-A breakfast, and some random mall walking.

Breakfast of champions!

Honest review of this race? It was weird. It wasn't a typical race, with a start line, or finish chute, or mile markers, or race clocks... or any of that. However, the support of runners was off the charts great. Everyone cheering everyone else on. Amazing fuel table. Outstanding post-race snacks. All in all, I'm happy I did it, but I don't think I'm going to do it again. It just not a type of event that I prefer (I am a race purist... I don't like Color Runs or Obstacle Runs either...).