I did a quick search and saw that this race was starting and ending only a few blocks from my apartment, in Freedom Plaza.
This race is for a great cause, brain tumor research. Knowing your entry fee is going to help those in need adds extra meaning to pulling yourself out of bed on the weekend.
RACE DAY ORGANIZATION: Before the race they had a "Survivors Tribute" where survivors in attendance wore yellow and paraded down the street being applauded by all the runners lined-up for the race. It was incredibly moving. Talk about putting something silly like a simple road race in perspective. Survivors in attendance ranged from young children to older adults. I recently had a family member pass away after a long fight against brain cancer, so it was hard to not get choked up with all the emotion of the morning.
After honoring the survivors, the gun went off and we all took off on a perfectly laid out 3.1 mile course.
COURSE: We ran up a very gradual hill toward the capital, did a little loop and swung back down towards the start/finish line. Spending the last mile of a 5k running down hill = perfection. Every race should make this happen. I was happy with my time, 21:05. Far from a PR, but definitely a solid performance after two long races and tired legs.
SUPPORT: Between the survivors in attendance, those supporting the survivors, and DC locals out an about, this course had plenty of cheer support. Not to mention live music in freedom plaza while we warmed up and a big party waiting for us when we made it back.
REFRESHMENTS/BAG CHECK: Bag check was a piece of cake. It took approximately one minute to drop off my stuff, and everything was returned promptly when I finished. For refreshments they had bagels, fruit, ice cream and more. I grabbed a handful of things and heading back to my apartment. I cannot stress enough how nice it is to have a race literally in your backyard. FYI, there was no "EXPO" we just picked up race numbers the morning of.
No comments:
Post a Comment