Esprit de She Palo Alto 5K Run

The Palo Alto Esprit De She 5k was an awesome 5k run! I felt the warmth of girl power just being there with all of those women! They had a ton of girlie booths (manicure/​massage/​girls on the run) in addition to the usual sports drinks and energy bar setups which are typical of running events. That really made this one special for me! My friend and I finished in time to enjoy the sandwiches that they had out. They fed us well and gave us two drink tickets. We loved the wine and mimosas! It was one of the better spreads that I’ve seen at a running event. The Athleta tanks fit nicely and the event was well organized. I look forward to running this again.
POWER THE THE SHE!

***4.5 stars***
awesome inaugural event that celebrates the spirit of the woman!
although i did not have the opportunity to run this inaugural race in palo alto, i did spend time volunteering before the event, checking-​in runners, assigning race bibs, handing out goodie bags and tshirts, as well as after the event, handing out water bottles and congratulating runners as they crossed the finish line. volunteering is, in itself, extremely rewarding as you are giving your time and energy to a cause knowing that you will not be receiving anything in return. for me, i got the best thing, which was that warm, happy feeling inside, that i did something good, and that i made people happy.
the actual course started at the trail head to the palo alto baylands nature preserve, a beautiful part of the peninsula where many runners, walkers, and bikers can be found on any given day. the course is flat, with a few small inclines, and combines packed gravel/​dirt and paved asphalt surfaces. sadly, this trail will close for the next two years due to renovation, but we were lucky to be given this last opportunity to participate in an event here.
as a runner, if you registered for this event, you received the following:
*woman-​cut tank top (different from the usual tshirt that most races give out, the tank was very cute and very feminine)
*yellow reusable bag with a small zippered compartment inside (great for groceries!)
after crossing the finish line, there was a «night market» which offered:
*post race food, including sandwiches, greek yogurt, luna bars, water, electrolyte drink
*a «bubbly bar» for participants over 21, with a choice of bellini or mimosa… nothing beats a glass of champagne after a hard workout!
*free table massage
*free manicure or polish change
*“esprit de she” apparel for sale
*cocktail lounge style tables and décor
my only concern about this event was the parking. as a volunteer, i came very early and had no problems finding parking, but those who came later in the day, even those who arrived an hour before the start of the event, struggled to find parking, as we volunteers had to answer many questions about where participants could park, whether a particular lot was legal or not.
overall, it was a wonderful turnout for this event and the organizers did a terrific job in organizing this event. i hope they have this event again next year, and i hope to be on the other side of the timing mats next time, as a participant.
congratulations to everyone who crossed the finish line today! power to the she!