AleSmith Brewing Company held its annual "5.5 K" run Saturday to honor late San Diego Padres icon Tony Gwynn and raise money for his foundation.
The 5.5 distance pays tribute to the location on a baseball field where Gwynn often hit the ball, between third base and shortstop, also known as the "5.5 hole."
Hundreds of runners gathered at the brewery along Miramar Road to set out on a course through the industrial neighborhood's streets before returning to a cold beer.
The brewery, which started 22 years ago, is now often linked to Gwynn because of its best-selling beer which he helped create: the .394 Pale Ale, which pays homage to his 1984 season when "Mr. Padre" achieved a career-high .394 batting average.
The brewery also released its latest rendition of the .394 Saturday, an IPA with 9% alcohol.
Members of the Gwynn family, including his wife Alicia and the newest family member, their 4-month old granddaughter, were in attendance.
Proceeds from the event go to the Tony & Alicia Gwynn Foundation, which according to its online mission statement, provides financial and educational resources to underserved members of the San Diego community and around the world.
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Gwynn played for the San Diego Padres for 20 seasons, from 1982 to 2001. The 15-time All-Star’s legacy includes the league’s 18th best batting average of all time, plus 3,141 career hits, eight batting titles, five Gold Glove Awards and induction into the MLB Hall of Fame in 2007. Gwynn died on June 16, 2014, after a long battle with cancer.
