This was BARC's 9th annual pub krawl (that's not a typo, for historical reasons it's not “crawl”) and was an outstanding success. True to the Woodstock theme, there were tie-dyed shirts and peace sign necklaces galore. As evidenced by the photo on the left, what Woodstock celebration would be complete without “Big Bambu” a la Cheech and Chong?
It may have been a record turn-out with an estimated field of around 130 beer-swilling runners. Unlike the first few years of the BARC pub krawl, when the number of participants was lower and the pack hung together, the group yesterday began to spread out after the stop at the Outpost Tavern. This just added to the delight of passing motorists gawking and honking at the running retro-hippies stretching out down NASA Rd. 1.
With the total distance between Carlo's Beer Garden and Sam's Boat being about a 10K, the actual running time was about an hour, but with stops included it was closer to 5 hours. There was one actual "water" stop, but beer was the official sports drink of the day.
The longest stretch was between the Outpost and the Hilton. The distance and the oppressive heat conspired to really get the sweat flowing, drawing a stern glare from the hotel's chief of security standing at the door of the comparatively swanky bar. Somebody had a massive mopping job after the mob departed, but with the high prices, it was an even trade.
Things really slowed down at Boondoggle's. Their handcrafted pizza, impressive line-up of imported tap beer, and friendly staff convinced many runners that this was the place to park for lunch.
There was one injury sustained during the event as a runner went down on a knee on the sidewalk which required a trip to the emergency room and possibly stitches.
The group settled in at Sam's Boat, the final stop, and things really started getting loud. Running pub krawlers aren't known for being a withdrawn lot. Next year will be the 10th running which marks a decade which is a landmark of sorts, so speculation for a special theme is already being brainstormed. Be there.
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