Despite my friend and I finishing DEAD LAST (we had an excuse - we were running with our pups!), this race was a fun morning in support of a cause near to my heart!
Pre-Race:
We signed up for the race after hearing about it online and the race organizers were VERY focused on keeping clear email communication with participants (it was a fundraiser afterall). Upon arrival, we spent about 30 minutes driving around the park area looking for the event. The instructions weren’t super clear on the email, as we encountered multiple other runners trying to find the event too. Once we drove around the entire perimeter of the park, we found it, but unfortunately by that point we had missed some of the opening remarks and didn’t get a chance to enjoy any of the nearby booths until after the race. After so many races, I’ve started to become a stickler for signage - and this race needs more!
The Race:
The course was a pretty simple out-and-back tour of the park. Since this was a fundraiser event, there were numerous walkers, families with strollers, and a few pets. We “ran” with our dogs - our dogs weigh a collective 15 pounds between the two of them, so it was more like brisk walking. The course was not separate from the park, so we shared the sidewalks with other park visitors.
Post-Race:
After being literally the last people to cross the finish line, we collected our medals from the wonderful volunteers and then quickly toured the race sponsor booths as they were tearing down for the day. Had we been able to get to the race earlier, we would have spent more time checking them out, and I was bummed we didn’t get to really spend time checking them out afterward.
Tips:
Despite ample parking, don’t assume you can arrive close to the starting time. Prepare for the likelihood of getting lost!
This is a very chill race, so if you’re planning to dash through this course, prepare to share the area with non-racers, walkers, and strollers as the course will double back on itself
Try to arrive early with enough time to hear the opening announcements and check out the sponsor booths!
Final Thoughts:
If you’re an “intense” runner or looking to make this your new 5k PR, this race is probably not for you, but if you like running for the joy of being outside and raising money for a good cause, this is a race worth checking out!