One time. That's all it took. ONE Adventure Run and I'm hooked. (First Thursday of the month, April…read more- October. Run starts at 6:30)
My fiancee, neighbor, and I went to the August '16 AR, each for our first time. We got there probably 20 minutes before the "run" part started and had to park a few businesses down since it was so busy. Also, the vendors use space in the parking lot. The vendors there were really relevant. Running groups, race representatives (like Ragnar), shoe specialists from New Balance, and more. Each vendor gave more tickets for the soon-to-come raffle as well.
We all decided to get the AR shirts because they were only $8 each (price drops when there are only 3 runs left for the year). Even if it was the last run I would have bought it. That thing is comfortable! Anyway, time for the race to start. The MC drops a giant rolled up map on the side of the building, revealing where all the ticket stops are around the Rockville area. Everyone snaps shots with their cell phone (BRING YOU CELL PHONE - or a friend that has one) and takes of running. I had no idea what was going on. I also later found out that the initial sense of urgency wasn't needed. Overall it was about 3.5 miles of running and you have a full hour to do it. Some of the stops include a quick workout, like pushups or squats. Each stop gives you tickets for making it there and double if you're in the AR shirt. One of the locations (Silver Diner) didn't exactly understand the concept of the tickets and gave the first dozen people only half of the ticket, which makes no sense based on the way the raffle works later. Another runner later corrected him and it went smoothly from there on.
While running, we just happened to notice another runner near us. We invited her to join our mini-group and made a new friend in the process. It was her first run too. Everyone there is super happy, friendly, and inviting. Great way to meet new people that are into running.
By the end, we had hit all stops over the 3.5 miles and had about 20 minutes to spare. We tore off all our ticket stubs, dropped them in the large raffle bucket, and just chilled while eating watermelon. It was great.
The raffle itself gave away around $3,000 worth of items, including a few pairs of new New Balance running shoes. Other items included a free entry with MDA running group to run one of 6 different major races, including the Marine Corps Marathon or NYC Marathon (and a technical tee for the team) - we actually won that one :) . There were a TON of giftcards too. We won a few bags of those, which included about $30 at silver diner, $30 at tutti fruti, and more. Seemed like there were lots of small groups at the end and I think at least one person from each group won something. Lots of giveaways.
After the raffle, there was an after party at TGI Fridays. We all got 20% off our bill and they gave away another pair of shoes to people that went there. In hindsight, I could have skipped this part. Not because it wasn't organized well, but I'm just not a huge fan of Friday's and big groups are always tough on restaurants. Takes extra long to get food and drinks, but I don't put that fault on Road Runner Sports, so no points deducted.
My only warnings: be careful when running! That area of Rockville has a lot of high-speed roads and people need to make sure they're careful when crossing streets. A giant group of 50+ people just taking off in the middle of rush hour traffic in Rockville has got to be infuriating for the drivers when the runners aren't respecting the road and traffic. Also, get there early if you wanna park closer. Wear shorts with pockets so you can easily carry your tickets too.
We'll be going back for September!