Best Galveston County Road Races in '05

Picking the best of ’05 area races
By Bernice Torregrossa
Correspondent, Galveston County Daily News
Published December 15, 2005

Now that the last local race of 2005 is behind us, it’s time to look back at some of the high points. There were a few new races, a few old favorites that vanished, and plenty of chances for runners and walkers of all abilities to hit the streets.

There were 15 races in, or nearly in, Galveston County this year, and I was lucky enough to go to all of them except one. They were all fun, but some of them were outstanding. Here’s a tip of my running cap to some of my local favorites in 2005:

Best New Race — Galveston Island State Park 5K combined a scenic course, good post-race party and family activities into a great outing. If the race weren’t in August, it would be an absolute don’t-miss.

Best Addition to an Established Race — D’Feet Breast Cancer added a 10K event to its 5K/Kids K this year. With a little tweaking, it could become a prime fall race.

Best Kids’ Race — Runner/mom Deb Clifford gives the Summer Kick-Off high marks for its age grouping and organization.

Most Family-Friendly — A tie between the Mardi Gras Beach Run and Galveston Island State Park 5K, both of which had children’s activities while the parents ran.

Best Finish Line — The Summer Kick-Off’s ice-cold towels are worth sprinting in for.

Most Scenic Course — Seabrook Lucky Trails Marathon goes through wooded areas, a brief cross-country section with bayfront vistas and then across the tall-grass prairie for a smorgasbord of environments you won’t find in the big-city marathon up the road.

Best Race T-shirt Design — College of the Mainland often comes up with attractive designs. This year’s Moonlight Madness Run was a standout, with its understated sun/moon graphics.

Fastest Field — On the Run 5-Miler’s small turnout was comprised largely of team runners using it as a time trial. For the rest of us, it was still a better way to start Mother’s Day than the traditional breakfast in bed.

Most Beautiful Awards — Galveston Island State Park 5K skipped the shiny trophies and handed out shorebird statuettes to age group winners and striking bird statues to the top finishers.

Most Fun Awards — Age group winners in the Beneezy Purple Monkey 5K and 10K went home with purple monkey stuffed toys.

Best Post-race Party — Boiled shrimp, live music and a moving tribute to two local running legends kept the crowd lingering at the Galveston Island State Park 5K long after the last walker crossed the finish line.

Best Holiday Celebration — Resurrection Run, always held the day before Easter, segues into an Easter egg hunt for children.

Best Weather —Village Fair 5K’s early May date has managed to beat the heat consistently.

Clearly, there’s a race for every taste. Each one raised funds for a good cause, from scholarships to park preservation to cancer treatment, and they all welcomed participation from every type of runner.

If you had favorite races this year, e-mail me your comments and I’ll run a “People’s Choice” list soon.

Bernice Torregrossa is The Daily News’ running columnist. You can e-mail her at bernice92(at)aol.com.