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Henry Weinhard's St. Patrick's Day Dash
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5 reviews for Henry Weinhard's St. Patrick's Day Dash
AMAZING TIME. I'm going to make this a yearly event!! Everybody's wearing green (some dye their hair and bodies as well).. they close off sections of FREEWAY for it!! It's very organized. The crazy leprechauns running around everywhere and Irish bands make you giddy. Holler under the tunnels... wave at those cheering you on... give it a nice kick at the end.
Unfortunately, before you know it, it's over. After all it's only 3.5 miles! But alas... awaiting you after the Finish Line (right at Qwest Field) is a huge beer garden and party with free Mexican, Starbucks, water, flavored water, and pick-up for dropped sweatpants and other items.
We proceeded to Sluggers and drank a lot of beer. And by a lot, I mean... a LOT. Out of 32 oz. freaking cups. (Pause to do the Irish jig.)
I finished 28:42, slow because of the packed crowd, and yet that also made it less stressful and fun. 385 out of 4400 women (that ran). Yeah!!! The joy from this event will surely last you an entire week.
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This is my least favorite run out of the many 5Ks I've done. Call me picky but I don't like courses that start in one area then end in another. I prefer courses that loop around so you finish where you start. This is on the bottom of my list of "Why The St. Patrick's Day Dash sucks". Close to the top is the fact that probably more than half of the runners haven't run since elementary school yet want to get drunk as shit either the night before, the morning before, or after the race and run. Not to mention those that fit under the aforementioned category but wear costumes. At the very top of my list are those that run with baby strollers in the first wave when it explicitly states on the registration packet there are no strollers allowed in that wave.
I ran my first St. Patrick's Day Dash in 2007. Sure, it was annoying to have to park in SODO then get bussed to the Seattle Center but to the racer director's credit I got on a bus about ten minutes before the last one left and got to the start line quickly. There was some waiting around for the start gun as a result of those that didn't coordinate well enough to get them to the starting line on time. I was able to find my friend amongst the masses and we even had time to duck into a hotel and use the bathroom.
Finally all that were supposed to be at the race got there and the gun goes off. Folks start to cheer and we shuffle a bit before we could full on run. Half of the run consisted of my weaving and bopping through the crowd.
The coolest thing about the race is running on the Viaduct. Each time I drive 99 I remember that I've run on it.
Cut to 2008 the last and final year I ran the St. Patrick's Day Dash.
I will give you the condensed version of my unpleasant second go 'round of this run: the finish line was pushed back, there was about a 45 to 50 minute wait for the shuttle bus which caused a very long delay in the start time. I got there just as they were about to start the run leaving me unable to search for my friend. What happened to waiting for everyone to get there? I had to piss like a race horse yet had no time. The race started and about after half a mile I ducked behind a dumpster and took the most relieving pee of my life and ran back into the pack. I ended up behind all the people more concerned with talking than running and couldn't get around any of them. I FINALLY reached the finish line and got the hell out of there.
I will never ever run this 5K again.
According to my friend there was a collision between two strollers under the Viaduct tunnel. I shall add they were in the first wave of runners. Please note my previous distaste of this practice and blatant disregard of the rules. Tragedy? Or sweet justice? You be the judge.
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*Cue Bagpipes*
Green.
Green wigs, green tights, green, green, green, green t-shirts reading "10% Irish, 90% Drunk."
Young, old, freakishly fatless, chubby walkers, jogging strollers, entire families in green plastic derbies.
Ms. McMexican and Ms. McKraut finish it up and head home to make soda bread - completely undoing any benefits reaped by their early morning dash.
Slainte'!
34 minutes bitches.
People thought this was:
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i've been running the dash for years . . . and well, the new course blows! it blows major chunks.
(1) nothing to look at. it used to run along the viaduct so you had really awesome views of the city and the sound. not anymore. now you just run up aurora to the bridge and back. lame.
(2) the chip removal corral was a nightmare.
(3) the timing chips weren't accurate. (not that i was going for a PR or anything, just say'n).
(4) i wish they would somehow find a way to get stricter with who can run in the green wave. its really frustrating getting stuck behind a herd of walkers. seriously, people, sign up for the red wave if you can't run over 3 miles.
anyhow, i really want to keep my tradition of running this race every year - but if the course isn't changed next year, i don't think i'll bother.
My first fun run was two years ago at The St. Patrick's Day Dash and it was painful. I was inspired though, and since took up running. It's great to be amongst all of the other runners, with a few exceptions.... people stopping in the middle of the coarse... or too slow for the timed heat and other obstacle issues. I have since Beat The Bridge, Raced for the Cure, and Ran with Jingle Bells. This years St. Patrick's Day Dash Course was in the opposite direction and started and stopped at Seattle Center. We ran east down Mercer, looped around to Hwy 99/ Aurora, up to the Aurora Bridge and back. It was also a bit longer run, at 3.75 miles, then in previous years. It was nice not having to park at the end of the course (Safeco Field) and then having to shuttle back to the starting line (Seattle Center). It was better organized this year, because of this and probably because a LOT of people did not show up. It was snowing and raining this year (2009).
