After I ran the Celebration of Running 5k, I decided to go ahead and register for the second race in Track Shack’s Running Series: The Battle of the Bands 5K in Casselberry. And after not actively participating in running events for a long time, it was nice to be back in the running atmosphere. So here are a few reasons why you might wanna check it out too!
- Pre-race organization: The parking was easy (if you remember from my last post, I have no patience for parking) – there are a few options for parking so I parked in the PetSmart parking lot and it was a quick walk to the race packet pickup/start line at Lake Concord Park. The porta potty line was long but went super fast because the volunteers were directing the runners. There was also a nice hydration station near the start line to hydrate before the race.
- The Bands: The unique aspect of the race was that there were 3 bands situated throughout the race and then at the end you could vote on which band you liked the best. Shoutout to the bands: Mirror Parts; Coastal Sons; and The 91’s. They were all decent bands and to be out there singing at 7am in 100% humidity is pretty impressive. I’m not sure who won or what they won, but congrats to the winning band – whoever they were.
- The Course: The course was flatter than the Celebration 5k with one small hill and there were a lot more hype spectators with signs at this race. A nice lady had a cooler at the end of her driveway and was handing out drinks and cheering everyone on which added to the positive vibes.
- Post-race party: There was another band near all the tents and they were playing a lot of great hits, too. Shoutout to The Corey Marshall Band. The beer line was long, but went super fast. And they give you a choice between several drinks which is a nice touch. I stayed #basic and went with a White Claw. One of my favorite things about running races is that it gives me an acceptable reason to drink beer while eating a banana and listening to a 90’s cover band at 8am.
- The SWAG: Many of the goodies were similar to the last race. Mostly because AdventHealth was a sponsor just like before. They also had the massage tent (but again you have to sign your name to be seen and wait in line, so get there early). But I thought they gave out a lot of great items. I especially appreciated the koozies they were giving out at the beer tent since it was a super humid morning. They also had photo props available at the photo op areas.
- Plants: They give out little plants at the end, which are super adorable. Thanks, LiveTrends!
Overall, I thought this was a really well organized race and the location was convenient. The volunteers were amazing and brought fun energy while keeping everything running smoothly. It was a super humid morning so I’m impressed by everyone that PR’d (and the woman in front of me who threw up on the 2nd mile and kept going). I didn’t really train for this one either, other than just the normal base mileage I run each week. But maybe I’ll try another Track Shack race and actually train for it. There are several upcoming races in their series so it might be nice to try a race with cooler temps.
I also used promo code “ABBY2425” which I believe works on some of the future Track Shack races too!
Maybe I’ll see you at an upcoming race! 😉
The Swag Mama 