The Davis Moo-nlight Run might be one of my favorite races. It’s local, it’s an evening race and it’s just so much fun. I also have a sweet spot for Davis (what can I say? It’s where J and I met many, many moons ago.)
After I had to DNS at last year’s race, I was so happy and excited to run it again this year. Even more excited because my friend Susi had signed up to run with me and then my friend Nelli (and her friend Laura) signed up literally the night before to also join us for this fun evening race with glowing swag.
The race goes through a residential neighborhood in East Davis but the start and finish lines are in an industrial part of town, which means there is plenty of easy (and free) parking. J and I arrived about 2,5 hours before race start, so we could meet up with Susi, get something small to eat and pick up our race-packet. Then we met up with the other girls, used the restrooms, warmed up and gathered at the start line.
This race includes a 5k, 10k, and half-marathon loop course and a half-mile fun run for kids under 12. The Davis Moo-nlight Race is the final race in Part One of the NorCal Tour de FIT series, four races over the course of 6 months (that’s why the medal looks so weirdly piece-of-pie-shaped this year, because if you run all four races, the four medals interlock into one super-sized medal).
I personally haven’t participated in all four events, but I might consider it in the future. I thought the medal was pretty cool though and the t-shirt was also pretty fun again this year.
1197 people had signed up for this race, 1175 actually finished this year.
The half marathon started at 7:00 p.m., the kids fun run started at 7:30 p.m. and the 5k and 10k races started together at 8:15 p.m. They pushed the start time back a bit, because summers in Davis are hot and temperatures become a little bit more bearable when the sun goes down. It was still close to 90F when we started.
They changed the course around a little bit and I liked it a lot. It went through some neighborhood parks and was varied enough to not get boring. And temperatures really started to drop quite a bit after the first couple of miles.
{Official race photo – it was too good not to get it. I am smiling!}
J was waiting for us at the finish line and he took some photos when we were coming in. We high-fived, got some water, and then wandered the post-race expo. We collected our awesome medals and then picked up a well-earned pint of beer and some snacks. The medals were an extra $5 upon registration, but all runners deserve medals. Scientific fact! And these ones have a cow on it (Moo-nlight – get it?) and glow in the dark. I mean!
It was a fun race and I really enjoyed running it with Susi. Even though she said that she hadn’t really been training for the distance, I was thrilled that she wanted to run this race with me. We settled for some running – walking – intervals and that worked out well. Not every race is about a PR, but about the experiences and fun with friends. The whole atmosphere was so energizing that it even inspired my (non-running!) husband to consider signing up for the 5k next year. Say what? (← I am putting this in writing so people can hold him to it!).
Here are the Davis Moo-nlight Run Pros & Cons:
Pros:
+ It’s local!
+ It’s very well well organized.
+ There is plenty of free parking.
+ They have easy race day packet pick up
+ The course was a mix of street and green belt through East Davis.
+ Great course markings + cheerful volunteers!
+ Great tech shirt.
+ Instant results checking after race.
Cons:
+ No medals for 5k and 10k participants (unless you pay an extra $5 for a finisher medal – which I am glad I did though!)
+ No free race photos
+ Relatively small expo.
+ Only 2 water-stops for the 10k (I am glad I brought my water bottle along this time).
I know the heat is what most people complain about in regards to this race, but it doesn’t bother me too much. It’s probably not a PR race course for most people because of the heat, but the cool swag and evening race atmosphere makes up for it, IMHO.
Do you do races just for fun sometimes? How about evening races?
I am linking up with Marcia Erika, and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run.
fairytales and fitness
July 17, 2018 at 8:29 amWow, I can’t believe they make you pay extra for a medal. That should be included in the price. I’ve heard of paying extra for t-shirts but that’s usually for races that don’t even give medals. I think the Cherry Blossom race in D.C has an option to pay extra for a medal or not.
How fun to do a night time race. I am planning on doing some this fall but wish i could do a local one during the summer!
san
July 17, 2018 at 9:31 amI honestly don’t understand it either… I mean, just up the price $5 and include the medal. Nobody will notice. I don’t know if they think that a t-shirt is more popular than a medal for the race, or what?!
Tanja
July 17, 2018 at 9:11 amIf I run, I run only for “fun” – looking at my time/pace would be super discouraging…..
You did amazing ladies and deserved Metal and beer afterwards!
san
July 17, 2018 at 3:35 pmThanks friend!
Tanja
July 17, 2018 at 9:11 am*medal…. geez :)
Kimberly Hatting
July 17, 2018 at 5:37 pmI actually just did an evening race this past weekend, too. Definitely not a PR race for me either due to the heat/humidity, but it still was a fun event. I had to DNF it two year ago, so I was on a quest for redemption ;-)
San
July 18, 2018 at 7:51 amThat is great that you got to run an evening race too and that you were able to redeem yourself this time around :) Thanks for stopping by Kim!
Marcia
July 18, 2018 at 4:42 amWhat a fun theme for this race and it looks like the swag did not disappoint. I’ve come to really appreciate when parking is free and plentiful. That’s very rare to find in Chicago. All of my races lately are for fun with friends. : )
San
July 18, 2018 at 7:52 amOh, definitely… the easier the parking and packet pick up, the better! So happy to hear you’ve been running some great races with friends lately! That’s what it’s all about!
Kim g
July 18, 2018 at 9:47 amSounds like a fun race! There are so few options for evening races so it’s always nice to find one. I’m surprised that they didn’t just offer a medal for the 5k/10k!
san
July 18, 2018 at 10:29 amI agree, they should have just included the medal and upped the price. It’s weird to have to pay for it ‘separately’.
Cathy Mac
July 19, 2018 at 4:14 amNice work love…im sure it was lotsa fun running the race with a mate 👍👏🏻
san
July 19, 2018 at 9:15 amWait what? I haven’t seen you around here in ages… who are you?? LOL
Marie
July 19, 2018 at 5:08 amThat looks like a lot of fun! Their tshirt design and medals are so great. :) Good on you ladies!!
san
July 19, 2018 at 9:16 amThanks friend. It really was fun and I just love the whole theme of this race ;)
Stephany
July 20, 2018 at 4:05 amNice job on the 10k! And I’m glad you got a medal! All race participants deserve a medal – it’s a great accomplishment!
lisa of lisa's Yarns
July 20, 2018 at 6:04 am(I can not get my caps lock off – I swear I’m not yelling in this comment! ha!) I’ve never done a night race before. If I did, it would just be for fun as that is not an optimal time of day for me to run as I’m usually tired and it’s hard to figure out what to eat! Sounds like a fun race and it’s always fun to run with a friend!!
lisa of lisa's Yarns
July 20, 2018 at 6:04 am(now I see that it didn’t put my comment in all caps – so you can disregard the first part of my comment!) :)