5K Gator Bowl Run

 

Warm, sunny day in Jacksonville, Florida and the city is excited for today's Gator Bowl game.  This race is run along the Gator Bowl parade route which includes crossing and returning over the Main Street bridge at Jackson Landing.  Lots of spectators and over 1200 participants in today's event.  Largest group of walkers I've seen in some time, partly due to the day's activities and the scenic view available on this course.

Race day registration was higher than anticipated and t-shirts were gone before the race start.  Kudos to 1st Place Sports for realizing that pre-registered runners were entitled to shirts and when told that the stock was depleted, 1st Place immediately informed runners that more shirts would be available in about a week at the local store and for those driving in from out of town (such as myself), shirts would be mailed free of charge as soon as available - the operative word being "pre-registered".

The START and FINISH lines were on opposite sides of Jackson Landing thus vendors were scattered in several places and parking was ample yet not central to either point of entry or exit.  This was not a bad thing, just an unusual arrangement for a downtown area.  Chips were standard plastic chips that are typically threaded through shoestrings.  These had 4 inch strips of velcro threaded thru the chip slots which made for really easy attachment - creative idea.

I had a change of plans last week and gave serious thought to opting out of this race.  As always, I am glad I persevered even if it was a walking exercise for me.  JAX is a joy to visit and this race was well organized and easily maneuvered.  Good luck to Florida in today's game!!

CHIPTIME:  47:16

Cold Winter's Day 5K

 

There is a first for everything...

I ran in the snow... 

Not just snow on the ground but an actual snowfall that continued through most of the race...

Temps in Columbia SC were actually high 30's and low 40's causing the snow to melt quickly but nonetheless, 260 dedicated athletes showed up to run the final race of the Palmetto Grand Prix series in South Carolina.  This was a small event, locally organized and well managed.  Medals were awarded to all winners of each age group category and the "Palmetto Grand Prix" patch was also given out to winners.  

Course was not flat as described nor was it an out and back as described (which is what I was anticipating for this particular race).  The track was very hilly and a complete circle (loop) through a residential area behind the START / FINISH line with no repeated sections along the course and very few volunteers. 

Race Directors realized that weather conditions may cause a cancellation, delay or reschedule for this event and did not send out any information relative to this possibility.  Runners had to reach out to possible contacts or other known members of the local group to discover if in fact the race would run as scheduled.  

Local Police made the decision at 1:30 pm (race start was 3:00 pm as scheduled).  Participants driving in from non-local areas should have been given a courtesy email or phone call with contact information in advance of race day.  M.C. for this event made several "jokes" regarding a similar situation that happened at Myrtle Beach earlier this year (snide remarks regarding the cancellation which took place at last minute) and while the Palmetto group was allowed to continue, their efforts were no better than Myrtle Beach in regards to notifying the public.  The comments were inappropriate, all things considered.

This group (sponsored by Strictly Running) also does a very 'economical' version of race shirts, or at least they did for this race.  All shirts were technical tees, all had identical logos which promoted Strictly Running on the front side and "See ya!" on the back.  The shirts varied from short sleeve, long sleeve, male, female, and every color under the sun.  Participants that picked up goody bags before race day were allowed to pick their own shirts from boxes of available sizes.  Those picking up packets on race day, were given the listed gender/size shirt in whatever color available. 

No vendors were listed on the shirts and no specific race logo other than the timing company, "Strictly Running".   While this is positive in that it's a technical tee without multiple sponsors, it's negative in that it does not commemorate the particular event.  Anyone who had just run his or her first race would not have the usual "I got the t-shirt" experience. It's a minor issue but it's out of sync with the majority of race events.

I delayed writing this post as I honestly could go either way in my view of this race.  I would not register for another race in the Palmetto Series for reasons listed above but at the same time I would not discourage someone else.  The race overall is slightly below average and gives me a renewed appreciation for Run For Your Life and Event Marketing Services (www.runforyourlife.com) and all that they do for the Charlotte NC running community.  I think my disappointment lies more in the fact that I've lived in a large city most of my life and much of the amenities available are taken for granted.  

This was perhaps a timely experience for me and a reminder that there are privileges to living in either environment - city or rural - there were no strangers in that running group and lots of family present.  Race directors searched out young people whose results were impacted by lost chips or incomplete applications and appropriate awards were presented same day during the ceremony.  That is truly going the extra mile and very much a rarity in a larger network.

Sincere wishes to the Palmetto Grand Prix group's success in 2011.

CHIPTIME:  45:47

Mt Mourne VFD Elf Run 5K

2010 was the first year that I have ran this particular race, although I suspect I may have registered for it in previous years and failed to show up due to cold or rainy weather (it's a December / January race).  In setting out to blog about today's course, I noticed a significant decline in attendance over the last four years and I am not sure why.  The management, course, pre/post amenities and support were tremendous!  This is a rare event that actually gives out trophies to winners in each age category and also has a huge selection of door prizes (provided by sponsors).  I'm about to brag here so realize I very much enjoyed this 5K!

The firehouse was full of hustle and bustle this morning even though temperatures were in the low 30's.  Runners were allowed to stay inside the building right up until the Race Start which was nice.  We were provided with Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Biscuitville (sausage and ham), fruit and water both before and after the race!  Vendors were allowed to set up tables inside the firehouse (Fire Trucks were outside and/or on the course itself) and Run For Your Life was present although not the timing company for this race.

I was impressed!  The only thing not present were sport drinks which, due to cost, many local races with less than 1000 turnout have stopped providing (I hope someone from Coca-Cola or Gatorade reads this!)  and due to the economic downturn, sponsorships from the various distributors have ceased.  The alternative is to buy the powdered drink mix and make a water cooler or two for post race.  Irregardless, the race did not lack without it.

The course was an out and back with mild hills.  Only one volunteer was on the course, other than the police cars and fire trucks at pivotal intersections.  The single volunteer had paper cup duty at the half way point (water station) and he was doing a mighty fine job!  Course monitors weren't really needed on a loop route, so again, this event lacked for nothing.

Goody bags held coupons, two water bottles and a 100% cotton t-shirt and no registered participant left without a shirt.  Parking was easy to find and the VFD is just off of I-77.  I would truly love to see attendance increase for this race as it is an excellent venue and one of the few local events for December!

GUNTIME:  42:36

Girls On The Run 5K

 

This was an untimed event sponsored by New Balance, Goody and Girls On The Run.  Sixty-six teams from 38 schools were represented with over 900 young girls in participation.  This does not count the sponsors and coaches that ran with each girl or the local residents that registered and ran in support of the event.  For those not entering with a child, timing was completely out of the question.  At no point did we ever pass the starting group or run in small sections with very few people.  The crowd was too large and the route too narrow for such an attempt and if you know how energetic children run, you also know adult runners spent a great deal of time making unexpected pauses, stops or sharp turns.  *smile*  A digital clock was positioned at the finish line so that all runners had an approximate time of completion.  I personally wore my Garmin Forerunner but walked the majority of the 5K due to the constant crowd en route.

UNOFFICIAL TIME:  46:40

The t-shirts for this race were long sleeve, 100% cotton, burgundy with the GOTR logo on the front and sponsors on the back.  The entry fee was only $15 and it supports a wonderful cause, therefore, even without a clear route and chip timing, I would still recommend this event.  Lots of family fun and good exercise on a Saturday morning!  

This route was also predominantly uphill - a very unexpected choice for a kid's run.  Had the exact same route been run in reverse, it would have been predominantly downhill which would seem a far better choice, but then, it would have also been less of a challenge.  Each child received a bib with the #1 on it and all #1 runners received a medal at the end of the race (standard neck style, white ribbon, pink/green GOTR logo medal) and they earned it, they truly earned it!   

Congrats to GOTR for another fantastic event and best wishes for next year.