Inaugural Helotes Beer Garden 5K review

I don't normally recap 5K's, but I had to make an exception for this one.  This inaugural event was held in Helotes, a small town on the outskirts of San Antonio with an old town vibe. 

Registration: Sign up was on active.com, quick and easy like always!  The race director, Roger Lewis, was very active in communicating updates via e-mail and Facebook.

Packet Pickup:  This was held at Roger Solers Tri Sports in Helotes.  We were in and out in under 5 minutes, Roger Lewis was there personally handing out the bags.

"Swag" Bag: Bags contained the race bib with attached chip timer, an awesome tech t-shirt (see below), and most importantly....Advil.

Event Organization:  What can I say, for a first time event it was damn near perfect.  The only initial concern I had was the 3 porta-potties, but there were never more than 2 or 3 people waiting.  I think some people were going in to Floores Country Store and using theirs.  Everything was very well done, very impressed. 

The Race:  The race itself was a couple of out and backs through old town Helotes.  Luckily they didn't use the normal route that races use here because it has a hill that I don't really care for.  The weather was okay for the most part, a little too humid for my liking as my glasses fogged up a few times.  It wasn't a corral start but most participants started where they should have.

The Breweries:  This was what we were here for!  Most of the major craft breweries in San Antonio and the surrounding area supported the post-race party (beers sampled in parentheses).  The list included Ranger Creek (Lucky Ol' Sun), Alamo (Golden Ale), Pedernales (Lobo Lito), Busted Sandal (Slippery Rock IPA), Karbach (Barn Burner, Weisse Versa), Broken Skull (Seguin Ale), Independence (Pale Ale), Brazos Valley (The Cause IPA), Guadalupe (Rye IPA), and 5 Stones (Manmosa).  The only brewery I had never tried was Brazos Valley and they didn't disappoint.  All of the beers were outstanding!  

Post-race:  Aside from the amazing beer, there were tons of door prizes handed out including Oyster Bake tickets, CD's, brewery tours, and various items donated from the breweries present.  The age group winners were treated to a really nice beer mug.  The party was also in the parking lot of the Helotes Creek Winery, which Amy loved and we spent a few dollars in there.  A lot of small local businesses are within walking distance and this was the perfect time to visit them.  

Results and Photos:  The results and photos were posted to the official Facebook page today.  They also had instant results near the finish just by punching in your bib number.

Final Thoughts:  I really hope they put this race on again.  I've done quite a few over the past few year and this may have been the most fun I've had.  Roger and all of the amazing volunteers made this an race to remember.  Give the event a like on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Helotes-5k-Beer-Garden-Run/1381212208799022, hopefully this grow in the upcoming years.

Lastly, here are some pictures I took during the day.