Get your roll on, errybody errybody get your roll on.... And keep rollin, for 10k, 13.1 miles, or a…read morefull 26.2 miles with thousands of your closest townsfolk. Whether you're running, or volunteering it's for a great cause. It's quite a sight to see so many people as one, working towards a common goal (the finish line). As a runner, you not only get to traverse your favorite city in the great nation of Texas by foot, but you also get a chance to wait in line for port-a-potties spread throughout the course. The most common situation being the need to pee as soon as the race starts. The further out you can run at the beginning, the shorter the lines. After running there's a tent city waiting to welcome you with free foods, drinks and the best offers that expensive services and companies will give you. For those who start off in warm up clothing, and shed it as the race goes on, all clothing gets donated. So that's pretty cool. As a volunteer, you get a front row seat in a number of different areas, providing various services to runners and the community. Watching for traffic, cleaning up litter and clothing, offering runners water and other items, or other services provided by the race staff. Volunteers get shirts, and swag, as well as a jacket (which I didn't get because it was never delivered in my size. AHEM....a wee bit butt-hurt still. Our group BON Running Club, had a volunteer after party at Little Woodrow's. We're pretty awesome. For Health, Charity, personal goals, or because you're bored, the marathon is something you have to be in, to understand and enjoy. Yes, the idea of running in a giant circle when you life isn't in jeopardy seems a little much to some. However, it's good practice for when the inevitable zombie apocalypse begins, or our alien overlords arrive to establish dominance. Just do it the once so you know you can. Then you know you don't have to fear zombies with 5 mph speed limit.

Wow. To hell with Chicago, they should call Houston the windy city because I was totally BLOWN…read moreAWAY by how awesome this race was. I feel so lucky I got in as part of a team and I would recommend this race without hesitation to anybody. I ran the half this year (Jan 2013) and to say that the weather at the start was not optimal is an understatement. Rainy, windy and cold, I was thinking this race would be craptacular beyond compare. I was wrong...even with the weather this was one of the most fun half marathons I've ever run (and this was # 32 for me). Highlights: Communication from the race was consistently relevant, timely and informative. I never felt spammed. The Expo was great and bib/shirt pickup was a breeze. The start was one of the best...scratch that, I'm kicking it up a notch, the start was the best organized of any race I've ever run, and that includes races in NYC, Miami, Pittsburgh, Chicago and San Diego. The way they fed people into the correct corral was excellent. The volunteers were AMAZE-BALLS! So well organized, spaced well, helpful, friendly and supportive, I can't say enough. The spectators were EXCEPTIONAL! My friends from Houston were afraid there wouldn't be that many people out because who wants to stand in a cold rain, with wind, for hours. Well apparently tens of thousands of Houstonians do because all along the course there was terrific support. Running through the Heights was very fun. The crowd really helped keep the mood upbeat and spirits high. I felt like a superstar running through the puddles and the supporters are the reason why. Thank you so much, Houston. The after race was well organized and efficient. I just wish the weather had been nicer so there could have been a celebration on Discovery Green, but that's not the race's fault. I'm used to lottery systems because a lot of the races in NYC have them...that's the price you pay for having a popular race. I hope I'm lucky enough to get in next year. Houston Marathon organizers, you do a great job. Keep up the good work. Hope to see you in 2014!

Who doesn't enjoy looking like a rainbow vomited all over you after running 3.2 miles of…read moreawesomeness? This was probably one of the most fun 5k runs I have participated in thus far. In fact I'm pretty sure its fun for not only the run participants but also those that volunteer to make sure your covered in color by the time you cross the finish line. It's a great event for all ages and for every level of runner/walker. As you trek along adding those miles on to your sneakers you reach "color" check points where volunteers are armed with bottles of colored powder awaiting the human canvases that are about to pass through. "Get out and move and be healthy all while supporting great causes!"

Throwing dyed cornstarch at people who are trying to breathe is not just moronic, it's UNHEALTHY…read more Cornstarch is used by this for-profit company as a vehicle for dyes that are thrown at participants. The idea is a good one, but the method is not healthy, particularly for children and people with asthma. A closer look at this company's reveals there is some hazard to being pelted with a fine solid dust while you try to breathe. Take a hint from the band GWAR, who have been showering the public with safe dyes for years: add some water to avoid airborne particulate matter from entering folks' respiratory systems!

What better way to build up an appetite for thanksgiving day feast? This is a great fun and…read moreexciting run. I am shocked at how crowded this thing gets! But people wake up early, dress up and run a 5K. The sponsors usually come packed and it makes it a sight to see thousands of runners with turkey heads in the streets near the galleria.

2014 was my first year running in the Turkey Trot near the Galleria, and it was quite an…read moreexperience! They offer both a 5k and 10k race option, so depending on your level of experience you can race whatever works best. There are also wheelchair and kids specific races happening, so bring out the whole family! The course wound through the Galleria area, and the weather was perfect for running. As a first timer, I thought the instructions were a bit vague and I wish there had been a little more structure to the begining/pre-race activities. There were lots of people running in a group dressed in costumes, so if you have a couple of crazy friends grab them, get creative with the costumes, and have some fun running before stuffing yourself full of turkey later that day. Post-race activities include a few snacks for runners, photo opportunities, games and inflatable slides/obsticle courses, and a lot of great vendors to visit and get free swag. Yelp was one of hte race sponsors, and they had a booth where you could get yelp branded merch as well. Fun!

One of my favorite runs in town! It's a different distance than you're used to. Most of the runs…read morein town are 5Ks, ~3.1 miles, and then you have your 10Ks which are ~6.2 miles, but somtimes you want something in between. Well now you have the 4 the park run which is 4 miles. The course is very well designed and the after part is even better! There was so much food and drinks! One of my favorite runs and all for a great cause.

Logging another 4 beautiful miles on foot, such a great feeling…read more This event was stellar, not only the surroundings, but overall it was beyond well organized, in fact from comments I overheard it's like that every year, and that's enough to say every year I hope to be a participant. Parking was not an issue; I mean who doesn't want parking right near the finish line. At first we thought man should have parked at the starting line, but as hindsight goes, we had prime parking in the end. The after party was, well let's put it this way, I've never been so pampered after a race. The vendors were friendly and very generous in all aspects. Frozen Strawberry Margaritas, Bloody Mary's, Mimosas, Beer, Muscle Milk, Squeezed - fruit infused water/juices, Breakfast burritos, pasta, crepes, cliff bars, sausage/chili, massages, stretching, shoes, and swag up the wazoo. Cannot thank the vendors enough & YELP for giving me such a great opportunity to enjoy/explore the community I now call home!

I was told about this run from a fellow yelper Zain R, and I was able to convince couple of other…read moreyelpies to join us, thus forming the team "Agony of De Feet". Mike M and Catheryn S were the other team members. We met at Zain's place and took an uber lift to the med center where the run was taking place. It had sprinkled in the morning, and so the roads were still damp and grass was wet. It was also somewhat of a cold morning too. We did a quick 5 min stretch, participated in the national anthem, and started the run. Since this was a nice sized crowd, we started at the back end of the crowd, giving all others to start before us. The lane was very narrow and being a wet ground, I wanted to avoid any slips/fall/injury. The first couple of minutes, I kept pace with my fellow team members, and then took my long strides and disappeared with the crowd. There was plenty of law officers directing traffic and ensuring safety of the runners. I was dashing on the side curb, avoiding running on the lane and bypassing people. There were volunteers passing out water through out the course and also at the finish line. Once I got to the finish line, it was about 15 extra minutes before the rest of my team members showed up. We all got water and took a few selfies together. We then went next door to the tents where there was some snacks to nibble on and replenish your energy. I plan on running next year at this event.

This is a 2015 update from my below post (be sure to read that for all the details. I don't want to…read morerepeat). I downgraded one star (from four stars to three stars) this year based upon some changes in the race organization. In particular, packet pick up required before the race. For those of us that live out of town, it is near impossible (and certainly not desirable) to trek downtown on a weekday to pick up a race packet. This after paying $30 or more to run. I highly recommend expanding the volunteer workforce on the morning of the race OR even offering mailed packets. I would pay $5 to not spend 2 hours driving in and out of town, finding parking, etc. This year I was on vacation during packet pick up and despite stating there were no race day pickup (and no exceptions), they were able to pass them out (and I was appreciative, but this was still a hassle). If you read my review last year, there were issues with race day pickup, but this wasn't a good fix. Also disappointed that Live Oak brewery wasn't out, instead they had some beer, but a one 8 oz can limit per runner. I know sponsorships are a two way street so this had no bearing on my star rating, but not as good. Also, change in parking, they used to offer free parking in a nearby garage, now you have to pay to park on race day (as a regular visitor to the hospital). We were early and found some free street parking, but this is another step back this year. Also a bit of a downer, no team competition this year. Neutral things: The route changed from previous year, but was more or less the same roads. Awards for age groups were not announced at the event and will be mailed, again, since I didn't win, this wasn't a big deal, might be for some. Overall Men's and Women's, overall and Masters Top 3 were announced with awards passed out. On the positive side, the pre-race tents and post-race party were MUCH better location (right near the start/finish). It was also on pavement instead of grass, leading to much less mud due to rains and lack of evaporation prevalent this time of year. Also YELP HAD A TENT THERE!!!! Thanks to Rosa and Christine for coming out with lots of SWAG. I hope they consider tents in future years, I saw a lot of people stopping by and checking in to the event due to their presence. GOOD MOVE YELP!!!! I may or may not do the race next year, depends on the packet pick up situation.

The Houston Open has a long history that dates back to 1946. For most of my life, I've known this…read moretournament as the Shell Houston Open (Shell was the title sponsor from 1992-2017) and, from 2007-2018, I've known it as the Tour's last stop before the Masters. It was the final chance for someone to qualify for the Masters the following week (by winning the Houston Open). In 2019, for the first time in its entire 73-year history (at the time), the tournament moved to the PGA Tour's fall schedule. However, funny enough, due to the COVID-19 pandemic which forced the Masters to make an unprecedented move to November 2020, the Houston Open once again found itself as the tournament immediately preceding the Masters. This year, the tournament was sponsored by Vivint and was played at Memorial Park Golf Course, one of Texas' highest-rated munis and located within Houston city limits. From 2003-2019, the Houston Open was held at the Golf Club of Houston in Humble, a suburb north of the city. Carlos Ortiz of Mexico won this year's Houston Open by two strokes (-13) over big names such as Hideki Matsuyama (-11), Dustin Johnson (-11), and Brooks Koepka (-8). Ortiz became the first Mexican-born player to win a Tour event in 42 years. It was his first Tour victory and he took home $1.26 million (gross). Total purse for the event was $7 million this year, down $500,000 from last year. When it comes to purse size, in recent years, the Houston Open has fallen in the middle of the PGA Tour pack. In most years over the past decade-plus, seeing how this tournament was played the week before a major, the field hasn't been star-studded. 2020 was an exception. Collectively, however, plenty of golf's stars have played in and won the Houston Open over the years including Ian Poulter, Phil Mickelson, Anthony Kim, Paul Casey, Adam Scott, Stuart Appleby, Vijay Singh, Fred Couples, Hal Sutton, David Duval, Payne Stewart, Fred Funk, Curtis Strange, Jay Haas, Ray Floyd, Corey Pavin, Gary Player, Lee Elder, Hubert Green, Arnold Palmer, Jack Burke Jr, and Bryon Nelson.

A friend and I went to the Houston open at the Memorial Park golf course on Sunday for the final…read moreday. He and I have gone to Previous Houston opens at the previous venues, and Sunday stood out as one of the best times all around on every point. First of all for some reason there weren't as many spectators as we expected, we had a great view I never felt too crowded, except of course on the final hole with the final group. And to be honest it wasn't that crowded we had a great time overall. We sampled several of the food offerings and the breakfast sandwiches was our least favorite maybe because they sat a little longer than they should've and we were a little later than we should've been. I actually after seeing my buddies sandwich I opted for the yogurt... and I only eat yogurt when I'm not feeling well or I have to. A little later we actually got breakfast tacos and they were a little cold and I'll just leave it at that, like I said we were late to show up. And the standouts were the brisket tacos and the pulled pork nachos, one suggestion on the nachos upgrade the nacho cheese next time, the only part we found a little lacking. The Brisket and the Pulled Point or on point and tasty! Now to the important part of the day, the adult beverages!!!! I'm gonna say about the price is that it was just like any other sports venue, they get a little greedy when they start selling their alcohol. The morning bloody Mary's were excellent and the people they had serving them were fun, happy to be there and knew how to make a great drink!!! And they were a great day to kick off the day on the course. The stand out At the bar had to be the birdie beers I believe at the 15th, a part three with Stadium stealing around so we were all close enough to heckle and tear on the caddies during the Caddy race.... If you don't know what those are they're really fun, especially with a loud crowd full of adult beverages. They could've started them earlier and had him run later. The course was an excellent condition and the amenities were ample, clean and easy to find. My buddy and I are gonna get over to Memorial Park and play around before the conditions go back to normal public play. The fairways look like the greens that he and I mostly play on. And they finished it up at 3:00 just as they planned which was excellent planning on the planners. Every house we ran into on the course was always helpful and had a smile on their face it's just helps the day move by so much smoother I am sure that we will be back next year, and maybe show up on time.