It seemed like a good idea at the time. A local charity 5K in the Pacific Northwest, themed around cryptid sightings in the area. We signed on as a sponsor — coffee at the finish line, our bags in the swag bags, our logo on the banner. Standard stuff.
What we didn't anticipate was that three of the participants were actual cryptids.
We spotted the first one around mile two — a Sasquatch, running in the middle of the pack, wearing a race bib (number 601) and what appeared to be trail running shoes in a size that didn't exist in any catalog we knew of. He was maintaining a comfortable pace. Nobody around him seemed particularly alarmed, which says something about Pacific Northwest runners.
The second was a smaller cryptid we couldn't identify — bipedal, greenish, very fast. He finished in the top five overall. The race director checked his bib. It was valid. He'd registered online two weeks prior under the name "G. Swamp."
The third was Mothman, who did not run so much as glide at low altitude for the entire course. The race director ruled this legal after a brief consultation. He finished well ahead of the field.
At the finish line, all three came to our coffee table. We poured cups. They drank. They left.
Best sponsorship we've ever done. The banner said it all: Strong Coffee. Strong People. Strong Finish.
Foxhole Coffee — official coffee of the cryptid 5K. → foxholecoffeeco.com