If you think those athletic types who wake up on Saturday mornings for races and fun runs are a bunch of boring health nuts too busy counting carbs and calories to have any fun, then check out the pack of lushes that lines up each year for the St. Paddy's Day Dash Down Greenville. This motley assemblage of runners crawls out of bed early knowing they'll get the first drafts of green beer and the best view of the annual St. Paddy's Day Parade. The race itself is a fairly basic 5K trek--nothing much to look at unless you happen to be shopping for an apartment between Greenville and Skillman. Many runners just participate to snub their noses at the traffic that will be stalled on Lovers Lane. Race organizers are trying to start a new tradition of tossing beads at runners, but the number of people who choke or slip on beads determines whether or not this truly becomes tradition. Post-race entertainment will be provided by cover band Missing Pieces. Proceeds from the race benefit the Texas Neurofibromatosis Foundation. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers as well as the first male under 14:30 and the first female under 17:00. But, for most participants, the free green beer at Two Rows is motivation enough. The St. Paddy's Day Dash Down Greenville takes place Saturday at Two Rows Restaurant & Brewery, 5500 Greenville Ave. Registration starts at 7 a.m. and the 5K race begins at 8:30 a.m. The closing award ceremony is at 10:30 a.m. Registration is $20 through March 14 or $25 on race day. Call 214-821-0909. --Jay Webb
3/14
Smackdown
Admit it. Every Monday and Thursday night, you happen to be watching the tube, and the station just happens to be tuned to Vince McMahon's biweekly muscle-bound soap opera, the WWE. Go ahead; acceptance is the first step. Fortunately, if sweat and cauliflower ears are your thing, Xtreme Championship Wrestling wants to provide a live, local alternative. With an emphasis on brawling rather than mat skills, names like Action Jackson strive to prove that while you won't see any People's Elbows in XCW, you're not getting "The Rock bottom" either. Knowing the difference between a wrist lock and a wristwatch is unnecessary. Whether you're looking for the next big thing, an affordable way to spend a Friday evening or just to spike the IQ average of a room, XCW is at your service. It's 8 p.m. every Friday at 3730 E. McKinney in Denton. Admission is $10. Call 940-453-9901.--Matt Hursh
