The image of a dude in a cowboy hat and leather chaps still sticks in Bernie Thiel's mind as the most memorable sight at last year's
Bier Markt Ohio City Run & Crawl. Natch, he's curious about the outfits that will be worn by more than 500 runners at today's race. "I don't know if that guy was going for the Village People look, but it was interesting," laughs Thiel, a spokesman for the race and crawl. "Who knows? We may see a bigger contingent of costumers this year."The blowout starts with a pre-race barbecue, catered by the Bier Markt watering hole. At 7 p.m., competitors line up in six age brackets to run a 5K race throughout Ohio City. Afterward, athletes still wearing their runners' bibs can get cocktail discounts at 15 bars and restaurants throughout the Lorain Avenue neighborhood. "People fan out and do their own thing after the race," says Thiel. "Everybody stays in their running gear and goes wherever the mood takes them." The party starts at 4 this afternoon at Market Square Park, at the corner of West 25th Street and Lorain Avenue. Race fee is $25. Call 216-623-9933 or visit
www.hermescleveland.com.
Sat., June 21, 4 p.m., 2008