Houston Running: Strangest Item in Race Packet?

Houston Running

One of the leading sources for the discussion of Houston-area (and Texas as well) road racing. Focus and attention will be given to Houston-area runners, specifically HARRA members, that compete in outside-of-the-area events as well as those who do interesting things that aren't captured in the various media outlets, such as Inside Texas Running, Runner Triathlete News and Roberta MacInnis' Running Notebook in the Houston Chronicle (all fine publications and columns but with limitations too).

About Me

Name: WalkSports.com

Location: Spring, Texas, United States

I'm a mid-to-the back of the pack runner who probably enjoys promoting runners more than I do running myself ... I've completed 21 marathons (with a 4:47:32 PR! in Austin) and 52 half marathons (with a 2:09:58 PR! in Oregon) since November 2003 ... I've done a marathon in 12 states, half marathon in 23 and an event in 30 states and one Canadian province ... I have a 13-year-old daughter, Waverly Nicole, who completed her first half marathon in January 2006, made only two B's each of the last two years, was the only sixth grader to sing a solo (Carrie Underwood's Don't Forget To Remember Me) in their choir program (adding Taylor Swift's Tim McGraw in '08) and scored a 19 on the ACT in December 2007 as a seventh grader ... Waverly and I are members of the following clubs -- the Seven Hills Running Club, HARRA and The Woodlands Running Club ... I'm Marathon Maniac #308 ... I edit HARRA's Footprints in Inside Texas Running and write a column for Runner Triathlete News called, "Talking the Talk" ... I'm also the running columnist for the Courier of Montgomery County ... I'm a three-time winner of TAPPS' Sportswriter of the Year Award as well as TABC's Golden Hoops Award.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Strangest Item in Race Packet?

Bill has an item in this month's Deer Tracks - the official newsletter of The Woodlands Running Club -- that asks "What's the Oldest Race Shirt in your closet?"

You can see my question above, "What's the Strangest Item in your race packet?"

Everyone knows that Sunmart and the 3M Half Marathon in Austin are very well-known for their swag, if you will.

The most odd piece of race bag swag had to have been this February when I made the trip to Texarkana for the Run The Line Half Marathon.

What was in my bag?

I kid you not! Sterno Canned Cooking Fuel!

It wasn't this exact can; however, the words on this picture, "Gel (for) Chafing Fuel" is kind of scary for runners, if you ask me.

2 Comments:

Pat said...: I've never heard of Sterno.... I would have to go with a Philips Marathon 60 energy saving mini decorative twister bulb from the Portland Maine 1/2 marathon for my strangest item in my race packet.; 8:19 PM
K said...: Scary! The first word I noticed was "chafing gel"...; 6:44 PM