This Saturday will be the 25th time Chuy’s has hosted its famed Hot to Trot 5-K. I don’t know how many Chuy’s Restaurants existed when this race began, but it’s a good bet there weren’t at least 15 scattered around the state. In Austin alone, there are now five with the newest one---Chuy’s Arbor Trails—located in south Austin, on the west side of the MoPac frontage road, just south of William Cannon.

Which is one of the primary reasons Chuy’s has picked up and moved its Hot to Trot 5-K from the tranquil shores of Lake Austin to the Big Box Boonies of south Austin.

What the new course lacks in ambience it will make up for in relative flatness. The course Chuy’s utilized for the past five years, started and finished at the Hula Hut on Lake Austin Boulevard, and was characterized by it’s tough up-and-down grind over several major west Austin hills.

Not so down south. The new course will begin on Brush Country which parallels the Arbor Trails Shopping Center where Costco (and the new Chuy’s) is located. After a very short stretch on Brush Country, the course heads due west on Convict Hill for about ¾ of a mile. There’s a gradual climb on Convict Hill until Abilene Trail where the course goes north on a winding path through some neighborhoods until it reaches William Cannon. At Beckett, the course then heads back toward MoPac. At the light just before MoPac, the course goes south for a short spurt to the finish line in the parking lot near Chuy’s.

It’s one of the flattest courses in Austin and it should be one of the fastest with only a gradual rise on Convict Hill in the first mile and a slight downhill in the final mile on the frontage road run-in to the finish. Nothing is set in stone, but the race will probably remain in south Austin for the near future.

The move south was necessitated because of neighborhood complaints along the previous course and permitting issues Chuy’s had with the city. "Plus," says, Ashley Ingle of Chuy’s, "we always wanted our race to go back to a Chuy’s location, rather than Hula Hut {Hula Hut is owned by Chuy’s}. With our new Chuy’s just opening, it was the perfect opportunity to bring a great event to south Austin."

South Austin hasn’t had any races of note in many years and the excitement that Chuy’s has generated in the area (not to mention the huge crowds at the new restaurant), has Chuy’s eyeing a raceday field of more than 3000 runners and walkers.

There’s plenty of parking in the Arbor Trails Shopping Center to handle all the traffic that will be headed south. But the traffic at the William Cannon exit (and light) could create some congestion. So come early. The Kids K starts at 7:45 a.m. and the 5-K begins at 8:15, but there’s always plenty of pre-race activities to keep the kids and runners occupied.

Chuy’s also has a new beneficiary this year: The Special Olympics of Texas.

Packet pick up and pre-registration begins today (Wednesday) and continues through Friday (noon-8 p.m.) at the Chuys race site (4301 W. William Cannon). You can also register and/or pick up your race materials on the morning of the race, beginning at 6:30 a.m.

The Chuy’s Hot to Trot 5-K is the final race in the five-race Spring Sprint Series of races. Many of the age group placings and the overall leader standings will be decided at Chuy’s.