Diva Dash - St. Louis 5k

I celebrated my birthday yesterday by running (well jogging/walking) a very hot and humid 5K in Forest Park.  I ran the inaugural Diva Dash - St. Louis 5k back in 2014 and I was excited to run it again in 2016.  This year, you had the option of not receiving a t-shirt to save $5, so I decided to go that route this time.  You could also get a $20 refund if four of your runner friends registered via your link.  I tried to get a co-worker to run with me, but it wasn't meant to be so I ran it solo.

There was a packet pick-up option Friday afternoon at Big River Running Company or you could wait until race day.  I opted to get to Forest Park early on race day for packet pick-up.  When I arrived at the Upper Muny Parking Lot around 7:00 a.m. there was plenty of parking and packet pick-up was a breeze.  The weather was miserably hot, humid, and rainy which is most likely the reason why there were less runners this year.

Before I knew it, the race had started.  The atmosphere was very positive, happy, and supportive.  There were many groups of ladies running together, which made me wish I would have organized a group myself.  All ages and abilities were present along with plenty of tutus and tiaras.  The course was different from 2014 but it still gave runners amazing views of Forest Park.  The last 1/4 mile was uphill, but you were greeted with cheers, a medal, and water once you finally reached the finish line.  Bananas and Kashi bars were available to runners as were a print out of your results.  I didn't stay for the Lil' Princess Girls Run this year, but there were plenty of young girls getting ready for their race as ours was finishing.

The third running of the St. Louis Diva Dash was just as great as the inaugural run, and I definitely recommend that you check it out.  If you missed the St. Louis race this year you can still run in Nixa, MO or Tulsa, OK.  Otherwise, check out the website to watch for 2017 dates.