Ah, the rolling hills of the Winding Walk neighborhood.
Sorry this one's a few days after the event, it's been a challenging week.
The official name of the race is the Edison Square 5K Run/Walk to Stamp Out Cystic Fibrosis. I ran this last year and remember the neighborhood and the rolling hills. The event is for a good cause, and raised $3,400 in support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder that thickens mucous and other viscous fluids in the body, making it hard to function. It's a bit like having gunky oil in your car's engine - it can stop all sorts of things from working. People with CF usually require long periods of treatment each day to clear the lungs and manage the disease. You can learn more here, here, and here. Only a few decades ago, most that were diagnosed with CF could expect to rarely make it to their teenage years. Thanks to improved treatments and management, many people with CF are living into their 40s and 50s.
Packet pickup included the race shirt, a nice logo on a black background.
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| Shirt front. |
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| Sponsors on the back. |
The shirt had a cool logo, and there were a lot of people sporting the light bulb on their chests. It had to be okay just this once. Using the "When in Rome" exception, Chris and I put on the new shirts and were ready to run. Traditionalist runners, I can only ask that you find it in your hearts to forgive me.
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| Race shirts on before the race. When in Rome exception. |
Marc Dy of Edison Square Family Medicine is the race director, and he brought everyone together for some quick race instructions and to hear two touching stories. The first was ultramarathoner Joe Lewis, who talked about his young daughter's experience with CF, and some of the great strides being made in managing the condition.
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| Joe Lewis and daughter. Not this Joe Lewis. |
Second was Russ Jackson, who has lived with CF for decades and shared his remarkable and inspiring story. He is one of the few with CF to have lived into his 50s. He shared the importance of exercise and movement, and how it's critical to managing his health.
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| Russ Jackson |
Best of all, both Joe's daughter and Russ both ran the 5K! Speaking of the 5K, I guess I should probably write something about that....
After the pre-race activities, the runners lined up for the start. The race was a loop through the Winding Walk neighborhood. Dr. Dy had reversed a portion of the course from last year to help with some of the hills in the neighborhood, but the course mapping was still the same.
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| You are here. I was there. |
The start was less of a surprise than last year, and I found myself near the back yet again. Not a worry as I've managed to aggravate a foot injury, also yet again - no speed records for me today! Just before the race, Dustin Branham was running and high stepping, and I mentioned to Chris that he would be the guy to win the race. At the start, Dustin disappeared pretty quickly over the first hill while the mid-pack runners (read: me) found their paces and separated in the field.
Hey, it's summer already! Who knew? I had worn my running gear there, and put the beautiful black race-day t-shirt right on top. Two layers on a sunny, humid warm morning. Within the first minute of the run I realized my mistake. It was a sweaty, sticky run.
The run itself was well-marked, although I saw one runner in front of me that had missed the small 4X6 signs posted throughout. A few of the neighbors were out, clapping for the runners, and because it was a nice morning (just not for black t-shirts and two layers during a 5K race) children dotted the course as well.
At one point I was running near a couple of ten-year-olds that were outpacing me. We're going up a hill, and they are casually having a conversation with a friend who's traveling along on a motorized scooter. While I'm huffing and puffing up the hill, these three kids are out having a chat while they run! Awesome for them, and a reminder to me that I still have some work to do. It would be a worthy goal for me to make 7:20/mile my conversation pace. (Note: don't hold your breath)
The run ended on a gradual incline back near the starting point. Dave Munger of Davidson Timing and the Mungerruns blog manned the timing booth, and I had a chance to say hello.
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| The famous Dave Munger. Check out his blog here. |
Dustin Branham won the race! His time of 18:18 and a 5:54/mile pace put him almost two minutes ahead of the second place finisher. On the women's side, Melissa Orr took first with a 21:51 time and a 7:03/mile pace, finishing over three minutes ahead of the next female to cross the line. I crossed a few minutes after that, coming in a respectable 13th out of 147 runners with a time of 23:41.
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| Respectable finish. |
Water and Powerade were available post race, and the Edison Square business community came out to support just like last year. Age groups were 10 years instead of 5, and the top two finishers in each age group were given a pair of Thorlos socks - always nice. I came in third in my group, so I'll have to run a little faster next time. :)
This race has room to grow, and could easily double or treble in size given the course and the setup. Dr. Dy netted $3,400 this year, hoping it continues to add runners and that the dollar amount grows with it. Very nice run - thanks, Dr. Dy!
=== RACE DAY ===
Race: Edison Square 5K
Location: Concord, NC
Shoe: Saucony Guide 7
Date: 6/7/2015
Distance: 5K
Time: 23:41
Pace: 7:38/mile
Overall: 13/147 (8.8%)
Gender: 12/85 (14.1%)
Group: 3/28 (10.7%)
=== LINKS ===
Website: Facebook
Registration: RunSignUp
Results: Davidson Timing
Organizer Pics: Live Drive via Facebook
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