RUNable Race Review: Trick or Treat Trot 5k

RACE STATS:

• DATE OF RACE: October 24, 2020
• DISTANCE(s): 5k & 1-Mile Kids Run
• REVIEWED: 5k
• LOCATION: Brookhaven, MS
• DIFFICULTY: Level 2.5
• CAUSE: No Charity Assigned
• RUNscore: 3.2 Stars

A Running Glance:

Things I loved

• Fun Halloween theme
• Costume contest
• Cute photo op

Things I less than loved

• Shirt

RUNable Review:

The Trick or Treat Trot 5k was ALL treats and NO tricks! That morning, I actually ran the NYC Marathon (virtually) but I JUST HAD TO ATTEND this 5k!! I love dressing up in costume, and this year we had a super special reason to do so.

A running friend of mine has a grandson who was recently diagnosed with cancer. This sweet little guy absolutely LOVES dinosaurs. So, my family, my best gal pal, and I all dressed up in his honor! It was SO much fun!

Price

At only $25 this 5k is truly a Halloween TREAT. Registration included a t-shirt and a custom-made finisher medal. I believe if you waited until race week, the price went up to $30, but still a fiendish good deal.

T-shirt/Swag

Defining Moment Events is always super organized! Packet pick-up was a breeze thanks in part to the printed label on each race packet. (A special touch my OCD appreciates.) The swag bag included a flyer or two, my bib, and my t-shirt. The shirt itself was a “soft-style” Gildan brand 100% “ring-spun” cotton. I like the choice of t-shirt color; the gray was a nice contrast against the orange “Trick or Treat Trot” logo. Once again, the logo was printed quite large across the entire front of the shirt, and the back of the shirt listed all the awesome race sponsors. Thank you all!

Expo/Finish Line

The finish line was chock-full of spooky treats; I might have added a few bonus points because everything was so ADORABLE!! Lots of water, Gatorade, cupcakes, cookies, pretzels, and Halloween treat bags to go around.

This year they also moved the “post-race party” to the front of the Chamber of Commerce and set up additional lighting! It really made for a perfect setting! Another little “extra” was the awesome photo station DME set up for participants. It was really well done!

Medal/Awards

The medals were really cute this year! I love the color scheme, the bats, and the special touches on the ribbon itself. (Look closely and you’ll notice even the background print was on theme! Love it!) The AG awards were pins that specified: 1st, 2nd, or 3rd depending on your placement. AND the overall winners were given a FREE RACE ENTRY. Hair-raising!

Volunteers

As always, there were plenty of volunteers at packet pick-up, along the route, and serving up fun post-race treats at the finish line.

Course Scenery

The course wound through some sweet little Brookhaven neighborhoods. We saw tons of Halloween decorations along the route too. My most favorite part was seeing all the people dressed up for Halloween. It seemed like a lot of folks really enjoyed seeing our DINO-SORE (from the Marathon) selves walking along in those dinosaur costumes! Our silliness paid off big time!

Course Difficulty: LEVEL 2.5

The route itself was mostly flat with a few inclines and hills. Nothing too strenuous, but a nice little training course for sure! However, if you’re trying to make good time, I have a few recommendations:

1. Do not run a marathon in the morning when you have a 6 p.m. 5k race scheduled.
2. Do not wear an inflatable dinosaur costume to said 5k race.

Aid Stations

There were multiple aid stations on course serving up ice-cold H20.

Parking/Access

There were plenty of parking spots available along the streets surrounding the Train Depot and the Chamber of Commerce.

There was also ample room to host a COSTUME CONTEST! These two were the WINNERS!

Race Management

In addition to creating and producing wholly owned events, Defining Moment Events also offers additional services. From renting equipment to consulting to the complete turnkey production of your event, let Defining Moment Events help produce your next special shindig! *Special shout out to our friends at Southern Race Timing as well. Another great resource for all of you event planners out there!

Thanks again for another awesome Brookhaven event, DME. See y’all in December.

Finishing Thoughts …

Check out DME’s last race in the 2020 “Ole Brook Run Series,” the Run, Run Rudolph. (I heard from a reliable source that SANTA himself will be there again this year!)

Oh! And DME is also hosting a special New Year’s-themed event called “Run in the New Year 5k & 10k.” This one is VIRTUAL and can be run anywhere, anytime between Dec. 27-Jan 3. The sweet swag on this one includes a medal shaped like a crystal New Year’s Eve ball surrounded by fireworks! *Did your head just explode?* There is also a long-sleeved t-shirt option when you register! Just in time for winter! 🙂