Today's weather was perfect. A little cool pre-race but when the race started it was about 40 degrees with no wind.
This race was a little bigger than what I thought, 356 runners/walkers total.The course is described as very flat and very fast. I have heard that before so I got there a hour ahead of time and ran the course for a warm up.For the most part it was flat with a few rolling hills.
At the start of the race there were a lot of young kids 6-10 years old at the front of the starting line.When the horn sounded they took off like this was a 100 yard dash! Probably about a 5:00/pace and by the time we had reached 400 meters I was doing my best not to run over them, weaving through them like a maze.Some were even walking by this time.I felt good at the end of the first mile 6:56. We started to reach some of the hills and I backed off just a little. By the time we reached the last 800 meters I found myself behind two runners and even though I said on your left they would not move. I started around on their outside and then one of them decided to move and I almost ate the pavement.After I got myself back together I dropped the pace down to 6:29 and held it there for the last 500 meters or so.
I finished 27th overall and 2nd in my age division.I think that I could have finished under a 7:00/pace but was still satisfied with my time.I got a nice metal and a gift card.
2 miles in 14:18 @ a 7:09/pace | 