I don't know how many of you are fans of Gary Larson's Far Side. I am, as I bet most scientists are. So one of my lifetime goals has always been to do the Run to the Far Side. Last year I finally did. I did the 10K, but there is also a 5K. It starts and finishes in Golden Gate State Park. It is a large race and many of the runners dress up as their favorite Far Side character. I saw numerous cows, aliens and fat kids. The first finisher in costume gets an Far Side book autographed by Gary himself.
I started way in the back with my brother (also a scientist and Far Side fanatic). As soon as the gun went off, we saw a group up front bouncing a big balloon cow above the crowd. I laughed so hard I could barely run.
Anyone remember the comic with the sharks following the trail of ketchup thinking it was blood? I passed the person dressed as a ketchup bottle with a couple of sharks running after him. He had a sign that said "What the? We followed a ketchup trail for 3 miles?"
In my opinion, the best costume was the monster stroller. Some parents had lined the outside of their kid's stroller with big teeth and had placed eye balls on top. It looked like a huge mouth. I saw them putting their kid into it and it was like feeding a giant bug-eyed monster. I am sure the kid will be in counseling for life.
The race course itself was wonderful. Not flat but not too hilly and really pretty. This could be a fast course if you started up front. The street section was nice but the park sections were great. It was one of those courses where you pass the finish line and still have about a mile to go. As I passed it the first time a large (very sweaty) bumble bee was finishing.
There was a good expo at the finish line. (Although in all honesty, I would not have minded missing the band doing a disco version of AC/DCs “You Shook Me All Night Long.”) And the goody bag was nice. The Powerbars were, well, Powerbars. Not everything can be great. The T-shirt was long-sleeved with a Far Side comic on the front.
So I give this a 5-shoe rating. This is one of those races you have to do!