Watermelon Dash 5K & 10K
Houston, TX
- 10K, 5K, Kids Run
- Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
Save $10 w/code RACERAVES***The sweet Watermelon Dash is the 3rd in a three-race series, all designed to keep you fit and refreshed this summer. The Summer Dash Series includes the Lemonade Dash, Popsicle Dash, and Watermelon Dash. All are great family events! … MORE
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Disappointingly Organized
I was really disappointed in this race. I knew that the course was going to be boring (what do you expect from a straight, flat out-and-back out in the burbs), … MORE
I was really disappointed in this race. I knew that the course was going to be boring (what do you expect from a straight, flat out-and-back out in the burbs), but I did at least expect it to be well marked and monitored. At one point it appeared that we were supposed to veer off the road and onto the winding, set-back sidewalk, but it wasn’t well marked and there wasn’t a race official/volunteer there to point you in the right direction. Some people stayed on the road, some went to the sidewalk, and some went back-and-forth. Additionally, when the road went from a 4 lane boulevard to a 2 lane road, it wasn’t marked which side was for runners or cars or how it was to work, nor was there any cops directing traffic for that 1/4 or 1/2 mile. It ended up with light traffic going both ways and the runners basically running the middle of the road and dodging back and forth. This company has put on a ton of good races in Houston, so this was a really disappointing showing from them.
The shirt is pretty nice and it was a nice enough medal. The after party was solid and there was plenty of watermelon.
Oh, I almost forgot the worst thing about this race. They charged an extra fee for race day packet pick-up. Maybe that’s normal for triathlons or other locations, but in Houston, that’s unheard of for a run and put out the vibe that they cared more about making a buck than about putting on a good race.
Overall, if you feel like you need to run a 5k or 10k in the middle of the Houston summer heat, then this one is good enough, I suppose. But there really wasn’t anything special about this race to make it worth the money and effort to get out there. I won’t run it again.