Dust off your lederhosen… and your running shoes! On September 13, Center of the Universe Brewing Company will host its inaugural Oktoberfest and Das Bier Run in Ashland, Virginia.
Dust off your lederhosen… and your running shoes! On September 13, Center of the Universe Brewing Company will host its inaugural Oktoberfest and Das Bier Run in Ashland, Virginia. “This year we wanted to actually get more into an Oktoberfest-style party out here in Hanover,” says COTU co-founder Chris Ray. The celebration will include the release of COTU’s own Oktoberfest beer, German beers served in liter steins, and a performance from 13-piece German band Elbe Musikanten. Ray jokes, “I would not go to this festival if it was only [a] 12 [piece band].” The inaugural brewery event will have vendors selling sausages and pretzels, and will include a run for charity.
COTU has teamed up with the Richmond Road Runners Club to host Das Bier Run, a four-person team 1-mile relay, scheduled for 4 pm. Each team member will run a 1-mile loop in the airpark right by the brewery. “We just thought it would be fun to do something kind of different than your standard 5k,” Ray says. “This way it opens it up to one of our largest demographics which is beer drinkers.”
Those who sign up for the race will get a t-shirt and glass stein for their trouble, and proceeds will be donated to charities selected by the Richmond Road Runners Club. Teams can win one of four prizes: first place all male, first place all female, first place co-ed, or an award for best-dressed team. Costumes are encouraged, and they need not be Oktoberfest or German-related.
“So all you have to do is run a mile, essentially,” Ray says. “You can go out there, you can run a mile, feel good about yourself, and then come over and grab a liter and listen to some music and eat some food.” Sounds like an ideal Oktoberfest celebration to me.
Oktoberfest happens from 3-9 pm at Center of the Universe Brewing Company in Ashland, and Das Bier Run begins at 4 pm.
To sign up for the race, visit http://www.raceit.com/search3/event.aspx?id=28457
