The Crew ran a 5K for beer and no one died

The Crew and our assorted friends all survived the first ABQ Brew Dash.

We are alive. That was pretty much the best summation of the Dark Side Brew Crew’s experience at the first ABQ Brew Dash on Saturday. A bunch of mostly out-of-shape beer writers ran 5 kilometers. Why? Hey, why not? As Franz Solo once said, “Fit, drunk, and stupid is the way to go through life, son.” Even Luke, our Santa Fe writer, came down for this one, and he ended up edging out Franz Solo for first place among all of us. Believe it or not, I was third, followed by Adam and Mrs. Solo.

Overall, it was a fun event, even though the weather did not want to cooperate. The wind was not too bad during the race itself. At no point on the course were we really running directly into it, so that helped. It also kept things fairly cool, so it did not appear that anyone was overheating at Balloon Fiesta Park. However, after the 5K was over, the clouds thickened, the wind got colder, and we all came to regret not bringing more warm clothes along.

Some may have complained about the long lines to get into the beer garden, but considering there were over 1,000 people running, it actually moved fairly quickly when you think about it. From there, the beer lines were long, but with only three breweries, the staff members at each could only pour so fast. (And for the record, they were freezing, too. I’m not sure who looked colder, Nathan at Bosque or Leah at Marble.)

If the weather is nicer next year (never a guarantee in our state), then the event should be even better. With that huge turnout, we expect to see more breweries sponsoring next year, which will further shorten the beer lines with more options. Overall, it was a fun event, one that we will be happy to participate in again, provided the weather cooperates and we actually manage to stay in half-decent shape. Hey, I got under 35 minutes. That is remarkable for someone who has not run a 5K in over a decade.

Pictures can tell the story better than I can, however, so here are a few.

None of us had the guts to pull off outfits like these.

BrewDash3 — People started to head toward the start line.

BrewDash2 — Leah and the Marble team were busy setting up amid the wind.

BrewDash4 — Everyone lines up to start. (Photo courtesy of the Brew Dash Facebook page)

BrewDash5 — I took this slightly off-center pic at the finish line. Hey, I was trying not to throw up at that point.

BrewDash6 — The lines were long and the sky went dark, but most folks stayed positive. Or went numb.

BrewDash7 — Folks did their best to stay warm in line.

BrewDash8 — Adam and others went to the lighter side for their pints.

BrewDash9 — Stoutmeister and the Solos chose Bosque’s Driftwood Oatmeal Stout on nitro. It was amazing.

That is all from us. If you would like to share your own Brew Dash experience, just email us some words and a photo at nmdarksidebrewcrew@gmail.com. Even if you just have some suggestions to improve the event for 2016, we can send them along to the race organizers. Just remember, constructive criticism, be polite, please!

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister