Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, and it lands on the 25th Great West Chase. That means Westchase's first costumes of October 31 show up in the dark at the corner of Montague Street and Brompton Drive in West Park Village, hours before anyone rings a doorbell. The race has run since 2002 and now draws more than 1,300 runners. Westchase WOW, the organizer, puts race-day attendance in West Park Village at more than 2,000 residents. So hundreds of the people who turn out on race day come to cheer, eat and watch rather than run.
The Westchase Community Association's October calendar lists nothing for October 31. The neighborhood's Halloween this year runs on a race clock, and it pays to know that clock whether you have a bib or are just trying to get to the grocery store.
The Clock From Thursday to Saturday Morning
Packet pickup is Thursday, October 29. Here is how race week closes out, based on Westchase WOW's race FAQ and road closure notice:
- Thursday, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. and 3–6 p.m.: Packet pickup at Westchase Recreation Center, 9791 Westchase Dr. Walk-up registration is open during these hours.
- Saturday, 5:30 a.m.: Walk-up registration opens again at the start area, and the race-morning traffic patterns begin.
- 7 a.m.: The 10K starts. Runners cover the 5K course twice.
- 8 a.m.: The 5K starts.
- 9 a.m.: The Kids' Fun Run starts and stays on the internal Montague Street loop in West Park Village.
- 9:30 a.m.: The traffic window WOW tells residents to plan around comes to an end.
The race's RunSignup page lists $60 for the 10K, $50 for the 5K, $30 for the Kids' Fun Run and $70 for the 10K/5K Challenge, which means running both. WOW's FAQ lists online registration through Wednesday, October 28. After that, the two walk-up windows above are the way in.
Leaving Your Own Street Between 5:30 and 9:30
The course starts on Brompton Drive and heads west along Linebaugh Avenue. Runners keep to the southern lanes, and all cars move to the northern lanes so the two never mix. That one lane split sets the exit rules for every village that opens onto Linebaugh:
| If you're leaving from | Your exit | What changes on race morning |
|---|---|---|
| The Bridges, Tree Tops | Montague | Right turn only onto Linebaugh, heading west |
| The Fords | Gretna Green | Right turn only onto Linebaugh, heading west |
| Radcliffe | Radcliffe Drive | Right turn only onto Linebaugh, heading west |
| The Greens | Gretna Green | Cars are held until runners clear, then use the inside north lane to turn right, heading east |
| Golf course, Harbor Links, The Estates | Harbor Links entrance off Countryway Boulevard | Radcliffe Drive south of Linebaugh is closed during the race |
| West Park Village | Tate Lane to Cavendish | All entering and exiting traffic routes this way to reach Linebaugh |
Drivers coming home on westbound Linebaugh can still turn south onto Gretna Green. For a household in The Bridges heading east to an early tee time or a Saturday shift, the right-turn rule means starting west and looping around, so it makes sense to leave a few minutes early. WOW's notice links a full route map for anyone who wants to plan the turns ahead of time.
The Post-Race Party Is Open to Everyone
The gap between 1,300 runners and 2,000 residents mostly ends up at the finish. WOW says the post-race party is open to non-runners. The food and drink list reads like a map of the neighborhood's own businesses, with many of them close enough to walk to:
- Saucy Lady, Signature Popcorn, Grain and Berry and Baygulls Bakery
- Blind Tiger and Rezzi Performance Coffee
- Carrabba's, Outback, Doodle Noodle, Irish 31 and World of Beer/Blend
- Nothing Bundt Cakes, plus Monster Energy and Celsius
- A Pepin beer truck staffed by volunteers from the Westchase Freebooters Krewe
Rockatar is the DJ, and local sponsors run booths with games and giveaways. The awards ceremony recognizes the top two male and female finishers in five-year age groups. That's a lot of podium spots, so plenty of neighbors who would never call themselves competitive runners end up waiting around for results. Every registered runner gets a T-shirt featuring the race mascot, Chase, plus a goody bag and a finisher medal.
Costumes Start at Dawn
On most Halloweens, costumes come out after dinner. This year they come out at 7 a.m. Asked whether costumes are allowed, Westchase WOW's FAQ answers plainly:
"Yes! And they are encouraged!"
WOW staff will hand Starbucks gift cards to costumed participants. Its photographers will also be looking for costumed runners to put on next year's cover. The race is running-stroller friendly, so families can bring the whole group, including the youngest in costume.
A 7 a.m. start in late October means the first mile is run in low light. Hillsborough County's Halloween guidance was written for evening trick-or-treating, but it fits a pre-dawn race just as well. It recommends bright or reflective costumes, well-fitting shoes, short hems and masks that leave a clear line of sight. A flowing cape that looks great at a porch party is a tripping hazard on mile two of Linebaugh.
Twenty-Five Years of Proceeds Staying Close
The race exists to raise money, and that is a big reason it keeps drawing a neighborhood-sized crowd. WOW organizes the Great West Chase as a USATF/RRTC nationally certified, chip-timed 10K and 5K that benefits a local school each year. WOW reports nearly $400,000 awarded since 2002, including a $37,000 donation to Davidsen Middle School in 2025.
This year's recipient is Davis Elementary in nearby Town 'n Country. According to WOW's FAQ, the school's principal hopes to update its 22-year-old media center and expand its positive behavior support program. The same FAQ notes the school runs with a one-person PTA, which makes outside fundraising like this race especially important. Last year's gift to Davidsen gives a sense of scale. Saturday's turnout will decide how much of that media center the school can replace.
For the anniversary, WOW has also been collecting old race photos and T-shirts from past years. Its 25th anniversary announcement lists Leslie Blaze at 813-926-0596 Ext. 2 as the contact, so a shirt from an early-2000s race tucked away in a Westchase closet now has a place to go.
The Rest of Saturday, Without Leaving the Area
Coffee for the cheering section is close to the start line. Blind Tiger Coffee Roasters lists its Westchase café at 10118 Montague St., with weekend hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. That puts it in West Park Village, open when the 10K goes off and just a short walk from the course. On the Westchase Town Center side, The Grind Coffee Bar at 9532 W. Linebaugh Ave. serves breakfast all day. Check its site for Saturday hours before you head over. If you're heading there from inside the closed area, use your village's exit route from the table above.
The midday plan is a short drive up the road. The Horsepower for Kids Fall Festival at 8005 Racetrack Rd. is in its final weekend, running 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sunday, November 1. Admission is $15 and parking is $1. Westchase WOW describes it as a nonprofit animal sanctuary just outside the Westchase area, and admission includes pony rides, hayrides and farm animals. That gives kids who ran the 9 a.m. Fun Run a costume-friendly afternoon before trick-or-treating, which makes October 31 a full day built almost entirely within a few miles of Linebaugh.
For 25 years, the Great West Chase has shown how much of Westchase's community life runs through West Park Village, and this year it opens Halloween morning. At Acropolis Realty Group Tampa, we keep track of these neighborhood details because they shape daily life in Westchase as much as any listing does. If race day has you thinking about your own corner of Westchase, from what your home is worth to which village suits your next chapter, we'd be glad to start a Tampa real estate conversation with you.
