Wednesday, June 19, 2024

2023 Texas Fourth of July Races / 2024 Preview


Fourth of July, of course, is fast approaching and many choices out there where to choose to race at - and there are many quality, proven races close to home.

Of course, the biggest race in the state each year since the Texas Heat Wave moved to Mont Belvieu in 2018 has been Gary Mulvihill's Run Wild 5K in Houston.

After race director Robby Sabban brought back the original Baytown Bud Heat Wave 5M in 2011, the two races battled it out each year for the majority of the years between then and 2017.

Last year, Run Wild 5K was the King of the Mountain.  Texas Bud Heat Wave was second with its two events and Liberty by The Lake in The Colony was third.

My first Fourth of July race as a new runner in '03 was Run Wild and twice in those early years, I also ran Stu's Country Mile (it's a 5K) up I-45 to Centerville.

I announced, of course, for many years the Baytown Bud Heat Wave, but since 2018, I've now had the chance to race in Frisco, Saint Jo (near the TX/OK border), Brownfield, Mexia (COVID year), Trophy Club and Fort Davis.

Frisco had a 4th of July Eve night race that competed for the "King of Texas" title (around 900 finishers in 2022), but it looked as if it stopped last year and a new event is in place for this year.

GREATER HOUSTON
863 - Run Wild 5K, Houston, 7/4
424 - Michelob Ultra 5K, Mont Belvieu, 7/4 (1 - 695 combined)
385 - Firecracker 5K, College Station, 7/4
271 - Texas Heat Wave 5M, Mont Belvieu, 7/4 (1)
260 - Independence Day 8K, Houston, 6/24 (2 - 424)

178 - 50th Annual BASF Firecracker 4M, Lake Jackson, 7/4 (7 - 216)
164 - Independence Day 5K, Houston, 6/24 (2)
74 - Stu's Country Mile 5K, Centerville, 7/1 (9 - 85)
38 - 50th Annual BASF Firecracker 2M Walk, Lake Jackson, 7/4
11 - Stu's Country Mile 1M, Centerville, 7/1

TEXAS
433 - Up and Running 4th of July 5K, El Paso, 7/4
406 - Independence 4K, McAllen, 7/4
397 - Liberty By The Lake 5K, The Colony, 7/1 (6 - 523)
397 - SARR Freedom Day 4-Miler, San Antonio, 7/4
310 - Let Freedom Run 5K!, Schertz, 7/4

308 - The Patriot Run 5K, The Trophy Club, 7/4
288 - Flag Run 5K, Boerne, 7/4
272 - CCRR (Corpus Christi Road Runners) 4M for the 4th, 7/4
260 - Freedom Fighter 5K, Tyler, 7/4
255 - Keller Firecracker 10K, Keller, 7/3 (7 - 334)

248 - We Run Texas 5K, Mansfield, 7/4
242 - Rowlett Freedom 5K, Rowlett, 7/4
205 - Liberty Run 5K Run, Denton, 7/1
195 - Cox Running Club 4th 5K, Fort Worth, 7/4
180 - Fireman's 2 Mile Walk, Port O'Connor, 7/1 (3 - 270)

162 - City of Edinburg Firecracker 5K Run, Edinburg, 7/1
155 - Arlington Independence Day Parade Firecracker 5K, 7/4
150 - Bastrop Stampede 5K, Bastrop, 7/1
150 - Popsicle Run 4 Miler, Kyle, 7/4 (4 - 202)
145 - Coolest 5K in Texas, Fort Davis, 7/4

139 - Trinity 5000 Summer Series Week 6, Fort Worth, 7/7
136 - Corinth PD Foot Pursuit 5K, Corinth, 7/7
136 - Old Jo's Firecracker 5K, Saint Jo, 7/4
126 - Liberty By The Lake 10K, The Colony, 7/1 (6)
116 - Edragon SA 5K Summer Series Race #4, San Antonio, 7/2

116 - Lake Granbury Kiwanis Firecracker 5K, Granbury, 7/1
107 - El Chupacabra de San Antonio 5K, San Antonio, 7/7 (5 - 188)
113 - WTRC - Firecracker Run 5K, Brownfield, 7/4 (11 - 240)
111 - Leon Valley Historical Society Pioneer Firecracker 5K, Leon Valley, 7/4
104 - WTRC - Firecracker Run 10K, Brownfield, 7/4 (11)

98 - Freedom 10K, Bulverde, 7/4 (9 - 121)
90 - Fireman's 4 Miler, Port O'Connor, 7/1 (3)
81 - El Chupacabra de San Antonio 10K, San Antonio, 7/7 (5)
79 - Keller Firecracker 10K, Keller, 7/3
76 - VARRA Firecracker, 5K, Victoria, 7/4

52 - Popsicle Run 3K, Kyle, 7/4 (4)
48 - Firecracker 4M - Fort Worth, Haltom City, 7/4 (10 - 77)
43 - Firecracker Family 5K Run, Laredo, 7/3
36 - Firecracker 5K, Odessa, 7/1
36 - Firecracker 5K Evening Run, San Marcos, 6/29

29 - Firecracker 8M - Fort Worth, Haltom City, 7/4 (10)
23 - Freedom 10K, Bulverde, 7/4 (9)
13 - WTRC - Firecracker Run 1M, Brownfield, 7/4 (11)
11 - Fun Fit Family 5K, Floresville, 7/1

Safe travels and great running wherever you choose to run/race at!

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