SARR Sauerkraut Bend 5K & Lil Kraut’s Run

About the Event: Run or walk the family-friendly scenic 5K course along the tree-lined streets of the Historic King William Neighborhood and San Antonio Riverwalk. We’ve added a Kids Race as well, so get those lil’ ‘krauts ready for a fun sprint around King William Park. All registrants get a race t-shirt and fun finishers medal. You can even dress up and compete to win a Oktoberfest-themed Costume Contest! If you can’t make the event, we have a virtual option for those who want to participate but can’t attend in-person.

Race History: A 5K in Texas’ first historic residential neighborhood wouldn’t be complete without a name that honors the original settlers. During the 1860s the King William area was subdivided into lots and laid out with the present streets. It was about this time in the mid-nineteenth century that a great many Germans, who had immigrated to Texas in the 1840s, began to settle in this area, and the King William area affectionately became known as "Sauerkraut Bend" to the rest of San Antonio. The race was started by the King William Association in 2019, and hosted 3 successful races. They offered the race to SARR in 2024.

The runner-driven donations will benefit the King William Association’s efforts to preserve and protect Texas’s first residential historic district, including repairing broken sidewalks, hosting free community concerts in the park, supporting healthy family-fun events, public art installations, providing grants to schools and other King William neighborhood organizations, and hosting free cultural arts lectures. Let’s show some love and make a donation! Click the donate button above.

Course Information & Map: The mostly flat and fast course is 3.1 miles and is ran on paved streets and sidewalks. There is one water stop located at the bridge near Brackenridge High School that all participants will pass twice at mile 1.3, and again at mile 2.0. The course is ADA accessible with ramps leading on and off of the Riverwalk.  Sauerkraut Bend 5K Course Map

Packet Pick-Up: Friday, October 4 from 4pm-7pm, iRun (location TBD) and race day morning at the King William Gazebo from 6:15am-7:25am.

Race Day Information: Race starts at 7:30 am on October 5, 2024. Parking available on neighboring streets, and at City pay-to-park lots nearby. Plan to arrive at least 45 minutes early to find parking and get to the start line on time. Help keep the carbon footprint low and consider public transportation, biking, or carpooling to the event.

SARR Goes Green: Our races are 100% CUPLESS, please carry a collapsible cup with you on the course, as we DO NOT have paper cups at our filling station with located at the Brackenridge High School bridge. Runners and walkers will pass it twice at mile 1.2 and mile 1.8. 

Please help us keep our parks and rivers clean. Please recycle your plastic bottles and aluminum cans in our BLUE receptacles located around the King William Park. Look for the SARR RECYCLE signs and BLUE bins. Thank you for being eco-warriors!

Post-Race Celebration: All participants are invited to stick around and celebrate your post-race accomplishments with friends, family, and your generous sponsors to include Kiolbassa Smoked Meats (and Sauerkraut!!), Shiner Beer, C-Force Water, and great vendors at the King William Park Gazebo. We have the awesome DJ Paul and San Antonio’s best MC Anthony, and lots of German-inspired fun!!!!

Race Awards Ceremony: At approximately 10am we will crown the overall and master winners of the race the Kiolbassa Sausage “King” and “Queen” of the Sauerkraut Bend 5K. Age group awards 3 deep in the following categories M/F/Non-Binary 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+.

Oktoberfest Costume Contest: Dust off those lederhosen, dirndls, fill up those steins and get ready to Oktoberfest-style your race day running attire — costume contest winners will be gifted a fun package fit for a King/Queen and get a free race entry into SARR Sauerkraut Bend 5K 2025. We will announce the Costume Contest Winners after the Awards Ceremony.

Register Early. SARR members receive a 25% discount on the 5K and Kids Run with online registration thru September 8, 2024 (automatically applied at checkout). Runners age 24 or younger and age 70+ get a 50% discount on the 5K with online registration thru  (no other discounts apply).