Cinco de Mayo 5k & Kidz Run 2018

After looking rather ominous all week, on Friday the skies finally opened up and poured rain in an apparent effort to thwart our pre-race pasta lunch. As a result, some runners of ours who live further away made the prudent choice to not drive on the resulting wet and treacherous roads. Others of our runners, mostly those living in the vicinity of campus, opted to venture out and to stop by for lunch. The excess pasta did not go to waste, though, but was instead happily scarfed down by Graduate College staff (who now owe us a run!). The contrast between Friday’s weather and the weather on Saturday morning could not have been starker: sunshine, low humidity, and not a cloud in the sky. Absolutely beautiful. Dean Golato brought extra Running with the Grad Deans shirts to the starting line for those who had not been able to pick up their shirts during the week. We also gave shirts to Texas State graduate student runners who were at the race but did not know about our group. One of them, Ty Cervantes, was the overall male winner of the race, which he finished in a blazingly fast 18 minutes and 52 seconds. Congratulations, Ty! The rest of us needed somewhat more time to complete to the hilly course in the Willow Creek neighborhood. It was an out-and-back course, which is always fun as it gives you the chance to cheer on others or to be cheered on by them. For several runners, it was not only their first Running with the Grad Deans event, but also their very first 5k! And some of them even won age group awards. Poor Michel had to go and argue for her medal as the race directors had somehow counted her as a male because of the spelling of her first name! Other runners ran personal bests or were absolutely thrilled either to finish the course without walking, or to just be on the course, period. Great job, everyone! All in all, there were 17 runners – this must be a new record. We raised $340 plus an extra $160 for the eight runners who were faster than Dean Golato, for a total of $500. Thanks so much, everyone. For more pictures, go to our Facebook page.