Sun Run 2006

In case you haven't heard, the Sun Run is more of a social phenomenon than a running event. They get 50,746 people on the road, make most of them wait around for an hour or so before they're allowed to run, let them run a bit, and then give them a free energy bar. If most people are paying $30 a pop, that's over 1.5 million smackers! Even after charitable donations, somebody's rolling in lots of green paper. And all I got was this lousy t-shirt. Not even, actually. Race package pick-up times were tight so I couldn't even grab my stuff. Early Sunday morning, a big bald guy told me that there's no late pick-ups allowed, and that I could run next year. As if! In a crowd of 50,000 people noone can keep track of noone. IF you pay for the race and IF you don't pick up your package, I'd fully encourage you to casually meander up to the starting line with the others and run 10km. Who's gonna stop you? And if they do stop you, you can say, "Goddamit, I paid $30 for this stupid race, and I didn't even get your ugly t-shirt, just 'cause you shut down the place before I even got off of work! And then you have the gall to count me in your pathetic record-breaking total, and then dare to tell me I can't run on the very streets that my tax dollars paid for!" Then you can splash a dixie cup of water in their faces, toss it on the ground, and continue running at slow, insolent pace.

Other things to note:
weather - nice
running - nice
cheezy rock cover bands - a bit annoying, but kinda fun
best track heard - Marvin Gaye at the Beat 94.5 fm (yes yes, I was shocked too)
Number of people I saw on the ground receiving medical attention: 1

Image courtesy www.seestanleypark.com.