DATE: AUGUST 7; 9:00 AM
DISTANCE: 10 KM
PLACE: GOVERNORS ISLAND, MANHATTAN, NY
WEATHER: 82 F
FINISHERS: 271
OFFICIAL TIME / PACE: ACK! 189 / 10:43 MIN/MI
SWAG: POST-RACE GOODY BAG AND A TECH SHIRT

Since I already have guaranteed entry for NYC Marathon 2022, I decided to support some other NYC-based racing organizations instead of New York Road Runners (NYRR). This race was organized by NYCRUNs, which probably is the second-largest NYC-based racing organization. Not that I have much against NYRR, I just want to use this opportunity to run other organizations’ races and to race in different parts of the city.

A FEW ISSUES WITH THIS RACE

-The organizers sent an email with all of these COVID-related rules (e.g. social distancing and masking guidelines). I was a bit disappointed that none of these rules were really enforced before, during, and after the race. A couple of examples: 1) Runners were supposed to wear masks in the corrals. 2) Runners were supposed to wear their masks within 500 ft of the finish. Then again, runners (myself included) had a choice of not participating in the race if they felt uncomfortable with other folks not following masking guidelines.

-Several portions of the race were not well marked, and some people went the wrong way during the second loop of the run. Fortunately, I was running with some folks that stopped at a fork in the road and were like we’re supposed to bear right here. Had it not been for those folks, I probably would have run the wrong part of the course too. In our defense, we tried to call out to the other folks that went the other way, but they were too far ahead.

-Of course, they ran out of popsicles by the time I finished. I guess this means I have to run faster next time. Here’s the “funny” part: The finisher right in front of me got the LAST popsicle. Had I sprinted a bit harder during the last 100 meters, I would have acquired the last, cool, refreshing popsicle.
-I think many folks missed the 5K race, which started an hour before the 10K, because they missed the 5K ferry due to long bib pickup lines. I’m so glad that I registered for the race with enough time for NYCRuns to mail my bib. However, I do not blame NYCRuns 100% for the delay in receiving bibs because mail delivery in NYC has been a hot mess during the pandemic. Honestly, I’m surprised that I got a race bib in time. However, NYCRuns should have had a better contingency plan. That said, I get organizing races is not as easy as it seems and NYCRUNs did the best it could.