Monday, May 28, 2012

Patriot Festival 5K


This was the first time I've participated in this annual event, it is also the second year it has been hosted in the Southpark Mall area.  The 5K route was mildly hilly through the first mile, then moderate to steep short hills throughout the remainder of the course which is located directly behind Symphony Park in a residential area.  Lots of course markers, police officers and a few volunteers spread liberally over the entirety.  I enjoyed the neighborhood course.  Amenities afterward were limited but sufficient.  Due to the wooded area between the residents and the park, the Start/Finish was not directly adjacent to the sponsors, or more specifically, not visible from the Start/Finish Line.

The festival is another matter.  It is a work in progress with lots of potential.  If you are going "for the kids" you might want to skip this one until they expand the "festivities".  Kids will be done in 15-20 minutes tops.  There were supposed to be two bouncies (moon jump) but only one was inflated. Jack in the Box had a toss game set up but with very little crowd interaction most adults didn't know if it was in operation.  Coca-Cola had a neat video game setup but monitors faced directly into the sun and it was difficult to see if the sun was shining.  Two food vendors and two or three sales vendors were present.  That was the entire "festival" and most were still setting up when runners came back through shortly before 9 AM.

The Festival was scheduled to run 9-11 AM so as not to interfere with mall activities and/or parking.  Awards were given out on the Symphony stage, a military tribute and a parachute jump were also on the calendar (I did not stay for either as the program was behind schedule when I left).  Lots of music blaring in the park between announcements and a singer was scheduled to participate.  It is no doubt an enjoyable event but at a slower, small scale pace. If you attend, do bring a lawn chair as there is only a grassy area for the majority of the audience.  

Sometimes I truly enjoy smaller events, they tend to be very friendly and low key.  Based on the location, the holiday, the planned social event and the turnout, I actually expected more activity.  348 Finishers crossed the line for the 5K with an additional 1 Mile run for those honoring specific Military members. That's a good turnout all things considered. I chose to walk the course this morning as did many others. One participant collapsed around the 2.8 mile mark, most likely heat related.  Trusting she has a speedy recovery and very proud of the race management group as the situation was handled very quickly and very professionally.  I hope the community gets behind this event going forward as it does have great potential and an excellent location!  





Friday, May 11, 2012

Twilight 5K



The 16th Annual Right Moves for Youth Twilight 5K took place tonight as a huge success.  Friday night, 7 pm, lots of families, firemen, policemen, competitors and YOUTH... lots and lots of kids for this event!  This was also Race #2 in the 2012 RFYL GPX series (Run For Your Life Grand Prix).

RFYL (athletic apparel store) Event Marketing hosts this series and it was managed to perfection!  Shirts were Jerzees 50% cotton, 50% polyester, which is the right choice with so many first time runners and kids that will want the shirts for keepsakes and/or everyday wear.  The shirts were reverse color blocks of the above design, meaning the shirt was bright green and the skyline was done in black.  Love the color choices for 2012! 

This particular event is a great race for first timers.  Only two or three moderate hills, lots of downhill sections (over two miles) and more than adequate police presence for traffic and crowd control.  The Atrium, where the Start/Finish/Amenities are located, is also a wonderful before/after gathering place for runners/fans.

1,197 participants crossed the Finish Line for 2012!  The Overall 1st Place Female was Charlotte's own Alana Hadley, 15 yrs old, with a time of 16:51 and the Male winner clocked in at 15:19.  Race Results were posted by 10:30 pm as well as the current GPX rankings (via Active.com).  I am presently 4th in Rank for my AG (age group) in the GPX which totally cracks me up!  I am 4th because thus far only 4 of us (out of 52 in AG) have completed all (2 out of 9) of the current races.  *writer relishes the moment*

Post race amenities were what anyone would expect for a GPX series - water, Gatorade, bananas, oranges, Great Harvest Bread, pizza, lo mein, and chicken fried rice.  All runners were given a medal when crossing the finish line and all registrants received a recyclable back sack in black with this year's logo and racing stripes imprinted on it.  Not bad for a $20 race (early registration cost). I would recommend both this race and this race series to anyone - local or not - well worth attending!


CHIP TIME:  44:47