Langley Race Around the Base - 5K - Run5k

Personally had a good run. got to the front quick and let the lead guy do the pacing.

My Garmin was accidentally set to "indoor" so I had no oversight on pace... only HR and time. So I was just winging it overall. Wish I wouldn't have done that, really missing my data... would like to see the splits.

post race walk around and NUUN. Got overall distance from another runner with accurate Garmin reading... It was a little long at 3.21M


HR was running at LT for last half of race, so I think I did pretty good. Could I have pushed it harder? Maybe in the first half but I think I would have bonked toward the end and not finished as well.


I can't wait for a survey on this race!! Race director...? Was there one? I was signed up to run the 10 mile race and my wife the 5K.
The race flyer did not have any start times. Active.com said 0800, so we went with that. We got there and started hearing start time rumors, most other racers were in the dark also, so I asked... Answer: "The 5k starts at 0800 and the 10 miler starts at 0915. We don't want you guys running together." I said, "That is ridiculous!" So I decided to run the 5k, so my wife wouldn't have to occupy herself for almost 2hrs while waiting for me to run the 10M.

5K Race Highlights:
- No water stations - EVEN at the finish! BAD! I don't care if the race is only 1K, you should AT MINIMUM have water at the finish.
- Course was "barely" marked. Myself and the race leader came to the turn around and there was an arrow sign pointing into a parking lot. I look ahead and there are no more signs. There was a course volunteer standing at another sign about 50 yards past the arrow sign, we ask her, she doesn't know. The cop in front is saying to turn so we did, run the perimeter of the parking lot (cause that's what the cop is saying) come out the other end (where the volunteer is) and she is standing right next to the sign that says "5K Turn Around"... so we were suppose to run down the road and turn around at the sign?? Putting us right at 5K. As poorly operated as the 5k was, I'm glad I didn't run the 10M - who knows where I would have wound up!?
- Mile markers are an added bonus... but if you have a 1 mile marker you should probably finish it out.
- Post Race: No announcement of awards or what was going on. All the operators/volunteers just randomly walked off. They did have the 10M starting about 30 min after the last runner came in. However, they had a bull horn at the start they could have said something like "5K and 10M awards will be together at 'insert location/time'..."
- Saddest part - There was a local running club there doing the timing (pull tags). They had their trailer for publicity. I know they were just there really for the timing and had minimal (if any) part in race organization but I hope all their races aren't like this... just bad for business.

I have volunteered to help organize/operate many races, I have also organized/directed a couple from start to finish; and found great success. One of my events had racers of 3 different distances all starting at the same time, on two different courses – without even a hiccup. Just takes some forethought. I know it is time consuming and a lot of hard work. However, these are the basics! There was little thought put into this race. Luckily it was a small race - less than 200 for 5K and 10M combined.
If there is a choice between this race and another next year... Plain and Simple... I'll choose the other.