After eight days of non-stop travel and a hectic schedule, I was very much ready to unwind with a strong 5K. This was a perfect ending to a wonderful week of friends, family and tourism. The race begins underneath Pier 60 and is a simple out and back directly on the sand next to the waterfront. I kicked my shoes off before the first mile was done! There is nothing quite like a beachfront run through a well maintained area with lots of vacationers. We passed two weddings in progress along the water, both brides in full wedding gowns, one groom in a tuxedo, the other in the ever so romantic European linen khaki trousers and un-tucked white linen shirt. Wedding parties and photographers were present! Runners were told at the start that all beach-goers have the right of way, so the race had a unique challenge of dodging and/or pausing for others en route.
It's amazing being last in any race. People know you're not going to win it so they don't mind stopping you to ask questions or comment. "How far do you have to run?" "What kind of race is this?" "How far do you have to run?" "How many times will you have to do it?" "How far do you have to run?" Lots of New Yorkers in Clearwater, FL. They're easy to spot... one, they're proud of their home state (shirts, bags, etc) and two, they're the ones in black, standing at the water's edge, talking on their cell phones.
My timing was unimportant and not in sync with my usual scores. I arrived on time but due to parking unavailability, I hadn't picked up my bib in time to start with the group. I actually started 7-8 minutes after the official start gun went off. I was truly standing at the start line for the kickoff but wasn't wearing my bib, and in this type of race, I needed it so that the course wouldn't shut down prematurely thinking all runners were in. To my amazement, I caught up with the tail end of the group. I passed the last two runners to finish 278th out of 280 total.
I drove from Tampa to Clearwater in about 45-50 minutes. Not a bad drive at all on a Friday evening and was 20 min early for the 7pm race start. Parking in this area is very limited and can be costly. A motel lot next to Pier 60 charged $10 per vehicle regardless of length of stay. The metered parking and street parking were completely full. This leaves seeking out parking at venues not on the oceanfront. Needless to say, I will be much earlier for race #2. I found a friendly motel several blocks down and walked back up to the race start.
For an $8 race, I'll have to say, I was most pleasantly surprised. The sponsors and hosts for this event are spectacular! Runners and Hosts alike were most friendly and encouraging throughout the entire event. It is manually timed but with a digital clock at the finish. Time cards are given out when a finisher crosses over and are turned in to the registrar for awards presentations. The t-shirts are white tech shirts with the logo just as you see above and are quite lovely. The entire series (4 races over the summer) was only $35 - a complete bargain for which I have zero complaints.
Very much looking forward to Race #2 in two weeks!
OFFICIAL TIME: 54:59
Results: Sunsets at Pier 60 #1
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