Texans go big. It's a celebrated stereotype, essential to our collective identity and evident throughout our origin tales, long before we were riding horses through Wal-Mart stores. Before #TheBlueGoesAllTheWayDown became a modern motto, our cries were Come and Take It.
The Texas Independence Relay epitomizes that spirit of 1835. It's a colossal adventure, not for the meek or mild -- or those too squeamish to use an outdoor toilet.
Not much has changed for the 200-mile distance running competition since its inception 10 years ago. Our explainer story from 2015 still does the job of capturing the race's essence in detail. Who does it? Why? How? If running down dirt roads and across bluebonnet covered fields for more than 24 hours sounds like a good time, that's your place to start.
But, say gasping for breath as you bolt across a two-lane bridge in the middle of the night isn't your idea of fun. The weekend isn't entirely about distance running. It's also about Texas. Living it. Loving it. Being it.
In many ways, the TIR is an excellent Texas road trip in microcosm.
Here are 10 ways to enjoy the Lone Star State, whether you're up for traversing it on foot or not, as demonstrated by the lovable loons of the TIR. Full disclosure: The writer runs (and carouses) with the DallAss Kickers.
Rep your Texan pride
Shorts, sports bras, t-shirts, tights, socks, hats... there's never enough flag swag. It's red, white and blue-tiful.
Be a hospitable neighbor
The Leihardt family in Schulenberg live this Texan code by example. Each spring, thousands of sweaty runners zoom past their home on a dusty dirt road in the country. This year, the Leihardts set up a mini-party with cold water, music, a roadside trash barrel (extremely useful in the middle of nowhere; don't mess with Texas, y'all) and their pièce de résistance: baby Myatonic goats.
You might have heard of "fainting goats." The Leihardts left a note with facts about the breed (they don't actually "faint," and they aren't experiencing pain or discomfort when they fall over). The gracious hosts even left out a little bit of goat food so runners could coax the herd close enough to the fence to pet them and play.
That wasn't the only example of renowned Texan friendliness en route. Entire towns -- namely Schulenberg, Weimar, Flatonia, Columbus and others -- each year offer a warm welcome to TIR runners. In fact, Weimar even bestows a special souvenir baton on the runners who finish a leg in their fair city. (Ask your captain for leg 11 next year!)
Drink a Lone Star Beer
Or a Shiner, Karbach, Rahr, Franconia ... you get the picture: Runners tend to love their Texas beer. Lone Star at TIR is a thing.
Sure, Lone Star was bought by a non-Texan company, and it is no longer brewed in its original "castle" in San Antonio (operations have since moved to the Miller Brewing Company in Fort Worth). But, it flows freely at the Texas Independence Party, a.k.a. TIP, on Friday evening before the TIR begins each year. And, those special "Come and Take It" cans sure are pretty.
We will also accept St. Arnold's...
Stop, at any cost, for Hill Country barbecue
Fueling for a big race is tricky, and that's amplified by the fact that TIR runners will not see an indoor restroom for miles and miles. Gross, perhaps, but a fact of life.
Massive hunks of meat may not be a typical pre-race meal choice, but the TIR is not a normal run-of-the-mill weekend trip. If your route down to Gonzales goes through Lockhart, it's practically a sin to skip out on dinner at Black's, Kreuz, Smitty's, Chisholm Trail -- dealer's choice -- before heading to the TIP on Friday evening. Hey, potato salad counts as carbo-loading, right?
Frolic in wildflowers
Because everybody loves a good bluebonnet photo session.
Get creative when facing a challenge
TIR obstacles include, among others: scraping out a few minutes of shut-eye in awkward places, making sure you know how to navigate a winding dirt road and dealing with minor injuries like blisters and sunburn. These industrious competitors figured them out, one by one.
Take good care of others
Once the race rolls into urban areas, police officers help keep runners safe. Sherri Holden of Houston PD, usually found at an intersection on leg 30, is a fan favorite. Every year, the Mullets (known for their elaborate costumes and general hilarity) share pieces of their awesome swag with her. Team member Billy Wren explains more about his appreciation for Officer Holden in the comments on this post.
Runners get in on the good karma as well. Steve Maliszewski did the seemingly impossible, covering the entire 200 miles on his own. His reason: He was fundraising for Team Snowdrop. No doubt, his feat is amazing, but before embarking, he said, "The struggle that I will face during my run is nothing compared to the struggle that a child goes through during their fight over cancer."
Likewise, for myTEAM TRIUMPH: Wings of Texas, the race wasn't about the runners so much as the team captains. Members of the organization regularly compete in various distance races while pushing "captains" in wheelchairs, so that "everyone can experience the thrill of endurance sports."
Finally, though all efforts are made to ensure the TIR is safe, like many large-scale outdoor activities, it involves an obvious level of risk.
Race organizers are sure to keep runners abreast of any unusual obstacles, and volunteers from Team RWB -- a non-profit that helps military veterans reintegrate into their communities -- helm each exchange point, offering additional support along the way. To communicate with thousands of runners on the road, the social media team sends out heads up, as needed:
Endure unseasonble -- or should we just start calling it "all-seasonable"? -- heat
Eat a dang ol' breakfast taco
Texans love tacos. We fight over who invented them and publicly declare our devotion to them. Eating free breakfast tacos at exchange 26 near the LaCenterra shopping center in Katy is a TIR tradition -- an extremely welcome one. Most teams reach the area in the middle of the night, after enduring hours on rural roads with little to eat but energy bars and peanut butter sandwiches -- whatever they could stuff in a traveling van.
When the exchange point's former sponsor, running store Luke's Locker, closed its shop there, it was unclear if the tradition would live on. Fear not, Trail Racing Over Texas (TROT) picked up the slack with a bumping party and 2,600 eggs served to ravenous relay runners in need of a protein kick.
Embark on something BIG
OK, we'll admit these photos don't fit into an exact category, but they capture the essence of an extremely Texan -- perhaps the most Texan -- thing to do: Chasing a passion on the largest scale possible.
D-FW takes the overall championship:
Captained by Josh Thompson of Plano, Dolls and Towel Boyz, nabbed its third overall win, finishing in 20:38:30 with a scorching average pace of 6:13 minutes per mile. The open mixed team (that means composed of both men and women) started at 2:42 p.m. on Saturday -- the latest start time in TIR history. Results here.
Congrats to fellow D-FW teams on a big finish, as well: Dallas Does Houston, The GOATS, DallAss Kickers, Worst Game of Tag Ever, Texas Roadkill Search Team II, Team Dallas, McKinney Antelopes, Team Altra, Team Chipotle, Team Newtonian, Come and Take My Beer, Jessica Said Rum, SuckItSantaAnna, TIRed, 199 Problems, and Chasing the Dream. (Did we miss anyone? Don't let us get away with it. Tweet us here.)
Texas Independence Relay Organizers -- namely, race director Jay Hilscher and social media team captain Kori Yoder -- were indispensable help in putting together this glimpse of the TIR. For more, search #tir2017 on social media.
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