They arrived in pairs, in teams, on their own. Some with kidsOpens a New Window., several with dogsOpens a New Window. in tow. Dressed in spandex, draped in flags, and bedazzled with Day-Glo headbands, mile-high tube socks, and lived-in loafersOpens a New Window.. The few. The proud. The underachievers.

On a glorious spring morning, they gathered beneath a cigarette smoke cloud in the narrow parking lot that abuts the Dodging Duck BrewhausOpens a New Window.. Here, volunteers, participants, and spectators shared morning beers, donuts, and good old-fashioned gossip. It was race day in Boerne, Texas, where the small town’s inaugural .5K, billed as the world’s shortest road race, had attracted the attention of couch potatoes far and wide.