Southwest Cafe Margarita 5K

The race of the summer is back!

Southwest Cafe Margarita 5k

THE COURSE

The race will start across the street from Southwest Cafe, in the parking lot of Union Savings Bank, 100 Danbury Road, and run through the Farmingville section of town (one of the flattest sections of Ridgefield!). Click here for the USATF Certified course map. Click here for an interactive the map. Please note that the course is NOT CLOSED TO TRAFFIC

No dogs or strollers are allowed

THE SWAG 

All runners will receive a premium tee and your bib becomes your coupon for your margarita. (21+ only. For the under 21 crowd, we will have soda or a virgin margarita.)

**Parking**

THERE IS NO PARKING AT Union Savings Bank (the start) or at Southwest Cafe. Please park in the HomeGoods parking lot behind 109 Danbury Road. (Put 125 Danbury Road into your GPS.) There will be police to help you cross Danbury Road to get to the start area. 

Water

Thank you to Union Savings Bank. The start/finish line area is in their parking lot, and they will be there with water for all runners both before and after they finish.

PACKET PICKUP INFO

Race packet will include the lifestyle tee and bib number.

Saturday, July 27 from 3 - 6:30 in the parking lot of Southwest Cafe

GIVE YOURSELF TIME as the packet pickup lines the night of the race have traditionally been loooong. We don’t want stressed runners, so try to get there early and avoid the lines. 

Yes, someone else may pick up your race packet for you.

Even if you declined a shirt, you will still need a chipped bib to run the in-person race. If you don’t have a chipped bib, your time will not get recorded and you will not get a margarita. 

FAQ:

Will there be water on the race course? Yes, there will be one water station just before Mile 2 on Norrans Ridge Road, manned by residents and staff of Ability Beyond! We encourage you to carry your own fluids to save waste. 

Can I wear my shirt when I run? Represent!  Of course, wear the tee, or whatever you feel comfortable in.

Can I run with a stroller? No strollers or wagons are allowed on the course. If you are a member of Achilles International and would like to compete with a hand cycle or push-rim wheelchair, please email amy@ridgefieldrunning.com will be happy to work out accommodations.

Can I run with my dog? No dogs are allowed, sorry. We love dogs just not on the course.

Can I run with headphones? We strongly discourage it, as it’s a big safety issue, not just for you, but for the people around you. In our experience, runners with earbuds or headphones turn into hazards as they cannot hear police, volunteers, or other runners. You need to know what’s going on around you during a race, so either open-ear headphones or none at all is the way to go. No personal speakers, please.

Is there a course time limit? Yes. There is a one-hour time limit (that is approximately 19 minutes per mile pace). After that time (or slightly before as the police deem necessary), you will be asked to hop into our “sweep” vehicle and be taken back to the start/finish line.

Are there prizes? The first place overall male and female winners will receive the famous Chili Wreaths, and top 3 overall males and females will receive medals and gift cards to Ridgefield Running Company. Top 3 male and female age-group winners will receive a margarita glass (under 21 gets a premium water bottle).  No double dipping on AG prizes. The age groups are:

10-19

20-29

30-39

40-49

50-59

60-69

70+

Best place to spectate? This race a little harder to spectate due to lack of sidewalks, but we would say the 4-way stop at the corner of Farmingville & Ligi’s Way is good; you’ll see runners both coming and going, and it’s a close walk to the start/finish area (please walk on Danbury Road and not Ligi’s Way to get there). The police officer at that corner will direct to the safest place to spectate at that intersection, as it will be a detour point for traffic.

My friend/spouse/child is not registered. Can he/she just run with me? My friend gave me his bib, can I run with it? Can I just give my bib to my daughter on race day? NO. Running unregistered is called "banditing" and is essentially using race resources without paying for them. It's also a safety issue (we don’t have the person’s info in our system), and even if that person doesn't take the swag, water, or use the potties, they are still using resources they haven't paid for (police, EMS, insurance, labor, etc.). We have capacity limits set for the race as per Ridgefield Police Dept, so it's also like crashing a wedding or party you didn't RSVP for. 

If you run with someone else’s bib, not only do we not know who you are or your emergency contact information, you could also skew the results and accidentally take someone else’s age group award (it’s happened).  IF YOU CAN’T RUN, YOU CAN “GIFT” YOUR BIB THROUGH OUR SYSTEM FOR FREE - SEE NEXT BULLET BELOW. Please don't bandit races or run with someone else’s bib, it's just not cool. Thank you for helping us produce a safe and fair race.

I can’t run. Can I get a refund? No, there are no refunds for any reason (including injuries or medical issues) but you can: 

“Gift” (transfer) your bib to another person (and you work out the $$ amongst yourselves). You can transfer up until July 25,2024. After that, we cannot accommodate transfers. How to transfer? Click here.

IS THIS YOUR FIRST RACE? READ ON…

Race Etiquette and Helpful Hints Guide

Adapted from Road Runners Club of America, 2019

Please read, even if this is your 100th race.

All runners have a collective responsibility to keep the event safe. No dogs or strollers allowed. Please respect those requests and all rules as outlined in the race form.

Follow the designated course. Don’t cut the course or run with someone else’s number--that’s cheating, plain and simple. You will be DQ’d.
Pin your race number on the front of your shirt/shorts. Do not remove or fold the timing chip that is stuck to the back of it.

Line up according to how fast you plan to run or walk the event. Slower runners and walkers should move to the back of the start area.

Run or walk no more than two abreast. We repeat: Do not move in a group of three or more. This is the #1 way to annoy other runners and cars, since some of the course is open to traffic. You’ll block others and create a hazard.

Be aware of your surroundings by not wearing headphones. The course is NOT COMPLETELY CLOSED TO TRAFFIC. If you must wear headphones (we strongly discourage it) use open-ear headphones. We have seen many accidents caused by oblivious runners. Do not wear a portable speaker and subject others to your taste in music.

If you are doing run-walk intervals, before each walk interval raise your hand and move to the side before walking. Yelling “walking” before you do that is even a better idea to keep people from running into you.

Move to the side if someone behind you says “excuse me” or “on your right/left”. The person behind you is giving you a heads up before passing. It’s proper race etiquette to let that person pass you without blocking their effort.

Keep litter (like tissues, gel packets, etc.) on you until you can throw them away properly. Don’t litter...just don’t.

Pay attention to your surroundings. The course IS NOT completely closed to traffic. It is your responsibility to watch for oncoming traffic!

When approaching an aid station/water station to hydrate or re-fuel, take note of others around and behind you, and keep moving while you grab your stuff. If you need to stop, pull over to the side.

Throw your used cup as close to an aid station or trash can as possible. Do not carry your cup for ½ mile and dispose of it in someone else’s yard.
Say thank you to the volunteers manning the aid stations and intersections.

Enjoy the post-race refreshments, but remember it is not an all you can eat buffet for you and your family.
Stick around to cheer for the final finishers. They’ve worked just as hard!

Smile for the on-course photographer :) 

Remember to volunteer for other races; it’s like a magical feel-good formula.       

Now you’re ready to race. CHEERS!