Second Longhorn Run a Rousing Success

By Rose Cahalan in 40 Acres, Special on April 16, 2012 at 10:14 am | No Comments

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With a boom from Smokey the Cannon and the brassy tones of “Texas Fight” from the Longhorn Band, about 1,700 runners took off for the second Longhorn Run on Saturday morning.

The 10-km and 2-mile races were co-hosted by Student Government and RecSports. Proceeds will benefit endowments at both organizations. About 60 percent of the runners were current students; the rest were a mix of alumni, faculty, staff, and community members.

Vicky Yap, BS ’11, says she thought this year’s race was better-organized than the 2010 Longhorn Run. “It was a definite improvement over the first time, with lots of volunteers and cheering,” Yap says. “Though I did like the old course route better than this one.”

The race started and ended at Gregory Gym, with 10-km runners heading up the Drag and through historic Hyde Park. Runners also passed the LBJ Library and the football stadium before returning to W. 21st Street and Speedway.

In a departure from most races, the vast majority of participants wore their official race t-shirts as they ran. That made for a uniform orange-and-white sea that left passers-by with no doubts about the event’s affiliation.

On Duval Street, an elderly man walking his dog stopped on a corner to cheer, “Go Longhorns!” Later in the race, three children in UT jerseys high-fived runners.

Post-race refreshments included hot Mexican food from Qdoba. And instead of a generic medal, winners were awarded some truly Texan swag: custom cowboy boots and belt buckles.

Photos by Jeff Heimsath.

Tags: athletics, longhorn run, race, running, ut rec sports