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Goodwill Hippie Dash 5k

May 21, 2016
Downtown Gulfport
5500 Shore Boulevard South, Gulfport, FL 33707

Hippie Dash 5k Poster
The Hippie Dash and Flower Child Run benefited Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc.
 

Peace, Love and the Goodwill Hippie Dash 5k

The 2016 Goodwill Hippie Dash 5k took place in the charming town of Gulfport, FL.

Gulfport is an offbeat artists colony beach town with lots of character. It was fun to run through the neighborhoods. The city sits on Boca Ciega Bay which offers some great views of water and surrounding towns.

All proceeds are used to support Goodwill Industries-Suncoast programs.

What You Need to Know

Packet Pickup: Packet was at local Goodwill stores from 2-7 pm on the  Thursday and Friday before the race. I went to the Gandy Goodwill store on Thursday. Parking was easy in the huge store lot. Pickup was at the front of the store, and took about 2 minutes. If you wanted to find something groovy to wear during the race, the store had plenty of choices.

Race Course: 5K was USTAF certified. It began and ended in front of the historic Gulfport Casino Ballroom on Shore Blvd. in downtown. The course was a 3.1 mile circle around the town.

The Walk, Woof and Roll 1 Miler gave dressed up dogs a chance to win a best dressed award. It was an out and back along Shore Blvd. and 58th St. Walkers, dogs and strollers were welcome.

The .25 mile Flower Child Fun Run was really cute to watch. There were moms and kids dressed as hippies.

Pacers: No.

Aid Stations: Yes. There were two water stops on the 5k course at mile 1 and 2.

Parking: Parking was FREE in the Municipal Lot next to the beach. There is also street parking and a small city lot nearby. Parking in Gulfport is difficult on a weekend night, but it was easy this Saturday morning.

Cost: Depends on when you register.
• 5K: $25-30
• 1 Mile: $15-20
• .25 Mile Walk, Woof: $10
• Virtual same prices; medal and shirt

SWAG (Stuff we all get): Neon green short sleeve tech shirt with logo on front and sponsors on the back. Reusable grocery bag was filled with a visor, water bottle, insulated lunch bag, bottle opener key chain, flashlight, calculator, fans, pens, notepad and samples. 25% off discount coupon for Goodwill stores.

Happy Surprise: Choice of Three Daughters Brewery beer (in cans!) at the post race party. That was a nice treat. I really enjoyed the 60s music playing at the starting line before the race.

Post Race Festivities: The after party was at Salty's Gulfport Bar on Shore Blvd. Besides the cold beer in cans, there was plenty of water and food served under a big tent on Salty's outdoor deck. Early finishers could watch the rest of the runners pass on their way to the finish line.

Photos: Yes. Free to see and download on the Goodwill Industries Suncoast website.

Awards: "Super groovy medals for all finishers" were as advertised. There were special awards for the first place finishers in each age group. They gave out Best Dressed Dude and Dudette awards. There was an award for the Best Dressed Dog, and another for Best Dressed Flower Child.

Timing Chip: 5k only. The chip was on the race bib. Race results were posted at www.coolrunning.com.

Weather Report: It was 77º at 8 am, and in the 80s an hour later. There was no way around the heat, but since it was a short distance, running was doable. The party atmosphere and surroundings distracted from the heat.
-> Cloudy for part of the race
-> Shade trees in older neighborhoods
-> Temps were low 80s


Race finishers medal for the 2016 One Step Closer to the Cure 10k race.
The medals and their ribbons were definitely groovy. (Photo: Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc.)


Race Rating: A+

Map of the Hippie Dash 5k Race Course
The 5k ran all around Gulfport, FL.
Race shirt for the 2016 Hippie Dash in Gulfport, FL.
Neon green race shirts embraced the hippie theme with a fun retro design.
Gulfport Municipal Parking Lot.
Parking was free in the municipal lot on Shore Blvd.
Picture of runners in the Hippie Dash 5k in Gulfport, FL.
A bunch of hippies ran the 5k! (Photo: Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc.)
Flower Child Fun Run at Hippie Dash 5k in Gulfport.
The Flower Child Fun Run was after the 5k. (Photo: Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc.)
Water bottle and can of Three Daughters Brewery Bimini Twist IPA.
What a treat! Finishers chose their favorite canned beer by St. Pete's Three Daughters Brewery.
Bins of ice cold water bottles for runners in the One Step Closer to the Cure races.
The post race party and awards took place at Salty's Gulfport Bar on Shore Boulevard near the finish line.
Race finishers medal for the 2016 One Step Closer to the Cure 10k race.
This guy! Under the tent at Salty's after the race. (Photo: Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc.)
Boats docked in the Vinoy Yacht Basin in downtown St. Pete, FL
Early finishers could watch the rest of the field from the post race party at Salty's.
Dude, I love any race that's playing Last Train to Clarksville and Feelin' Groovy at the starting line.

This race was in late May, so it's a given that it will be a hot and sweaty event. It was worth it though to run through the charming town of Gulfport.

Next year the race will be on April 1st. I think I would run it any time of year. It was fun.
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  • Blog
  • Race Discounts
    • What's BibRave?
  • Brand Discounts
  • Races
    • 2021 Races >
      • REVIEW: 2021 Tampa Hot Chocolate 15K 5K
      • Hot Chocolate 15K Watercolor Journal
    • 2019 Races >
      • 2019 First Watch Sarasota Half
      • 2019 Legoland Brick Dash 5K
      • 2019 World Refugee Day 5K
      • 2019 Pittsburgh Half Marathon
      • 2019 Rugged Maniac Dade City
      • 2019 Copperhead 5K at the Valspar Championship
      • 2019 Best Damn Race
      • 2019 St Pete Beach Classic Duo
    • 2018 Races >
      • 2018 First Watch Sarasota Half
    • 2017 Races >
      • 2017 Madeira Beach Sunset Series
      • 2017 Best Damn Race Leftover 5k
      • 2017 May Day 10K
      • 2017 5K on the Runway
      • 2017 Valspar Par 4 Miler
      • 2017 Sarasota Music Half
      • 2017 SPB Beach Classic
      • 2017 Kettle Krush 5K
    • 2016 Races >
      • 2016 Caladesi Island 10 Miler
      • 2016 Ronnie's Run 10 Miler
      • 2016 Weedon Island Preserve 8K
      • 2016 Fort DeSoto 15K
      • 2016 One Step Closer 10k
      • 2016 Hippie Dash 5k
      • 2016 May Day 10K
      • 2016 FL Beach Half
      • 2016 SPB Beach Classic
    • 2015 Races >
      • 2015 May Day 10k
      • 2015 Weedon Island Preserve 8K
      • 2015 Fort DeSoto 15K
      • 2015 Honeymoon Island Half
  • Places
    • --> Seen On A Run
    • Azalea Park
    • Crescent Lake Park
    • Weedon Island Preserve
    • Demens Landing
    • Riviera Bay Park
    • Walter Fuller Park
  • My Story
    • Contact
    • Reviews and Sponsored Posts