Race #125
5k #45
2017 Race #9
2017 5k #2
Swamp Rabbit 5k #5

I have a hard time staying away from this race despite my better judgment. When the registration cost is only $6 and one has a mild addiction to running all the races, if my schedule allows I sight up and run this race. This year was no different.

My number one problem with this race is the overwhelming number of people who fail to line up realistically according to pace. Even though the numbers were down thanks to unusually rainy and chilly weather, most of the 3500 participants are not regular runners or runners out for a competitive race.

No matter how many times the MC instructed people to line up with the sign that matched their actual mile pace, people chose to line up wherever they wanted to. I made the unfortunate mistake of following the directions and lining up at the very front of the 7-9 minute mile sign. I had a rough goal of an 8:00 minute mile or a little faster through the race as the congestion cleared. The incredible amount of congestion Mom and I had to deal with made me wish I had “fudged” a little and lined up closer to the 7 minute mile sign even though it’s been a while since I’ve run that pace for a 5k.

Our “pre-race picture”

That’s better!
(We’re under the tree to “hide” from the rain. Mom’s idea)

Let’s get this party started!

Right at 6:30 with the rain dwindling, we were off. The frustration began right away. I looked back at Mom and told her that we would need to go single file through this mile. I would try to find paths through the much slower runners and hopefully she would be able to follow.

As an example of some people who chose the wrong place to line up, the gentlemen and two girls beside us at the start settled into a much slower pace than Mom and I planned to run. I heard him tell the girls that this was a good pace to run. I glanced down at my watch which told me that their “good pace” was 10:30 yet they were lined up at the front of the 7-9 minute section.

I will forever not understand why people simply do not line up where they are instructed to line up.

As I kept running, small children kept weaving in and out ahead of us. At one point a boy no more than 4 or 5 years old darted from my right and crossed in front of me, so close that I nearly trampled him. Then a couple hundred meters later I told Mom to move to the right so we could pass a mom and her daughter. Right when I said that the girl darted right into that space where we headed. I passed her but she literally bumped into Mom. It was almost as if she wanted to try to keep us from passing her.

That first mile passed before I could even tell that we had been running for any length of time.

Mile 1: 8:24 – We had to work way too hard for that time.

The next mile holds the most significant hills of the course. I remember the first couple times that I ran this race. Each time I dreaded these hills distinctly feeling like they would never end and feeling completely wiped out once I got to the top.

This year, both Mom and I noticed the hill, of course, but traversed it with relative ease. All of our hard work has most definitely paid off.

The congestion continued to be a problem. Only for a short time during this mile were Mom and I able to run side by side which says quite a lot on a race that at this point uses an entire two lane backroad. I wanted to increase the pace but kept finding myself boxed in time after time.

I do not remember the congestion being this bad in the past.

Mile 2:

Just after the mile 2 marker we made the turn into Trailblazer Park, through a water stop and then made a hard left onto the sidewalk, then the pavement and then back onto the road. I have no idea why they do not let us continue straight on the road beside the park before turning right onto the road that parallels the trail. Perhaps they want to show off the park? Whatever the reason, that sharp left onto the sidewalk is tricky even without fifty other people making the turn at the same time. Okay, fifty might be an exaggeration but only a slight one. For a race this size, a turn that small is way too small.

Shortly after we turn onto the road parallel to the trail we make a left and then another hard left onto the trail. I love the Swamp Rabbit Trail. It’s wider than a sidewalk but probably too small for a race like this. Mom and I ended up running this entire section single file. In fact, the congestion was so thick through this section that it would have been risky for me to even turn around and check to see how far she was behind me.

I kept trying to push but continued to find myself boxed in. At one point a lady to my right saw me trying to move forward and indicated a very small opening to my right just in front of her. I thanked her profusely but it was still tight to move to the right and get through the gap all while running quickly.

As I started to put on the sprint, I could feel the effort a little but, thanks to the congestion, I had plenty left in the tank.

Mile 3: 7:36
.1 6:05
Final Time: 24:39

Even with all my frustration, I will likely be back next year. Hopefully they will actually come up with some solutions to try out for the start/congestion issues.

Now for the race review…

Registration and Packet Pick Up
The packet pick up tent had computers set up so that you could look up your bib number in case you had forgotten it or not looked it up ahead of time. I appreciated the touch.

Race Shirt
Just like the shirt from two years ago, this year’s shirt has an excellent fit and is super soft.

Prerace/morning (evening) amenities
Plenty of tents for the post-race festival were already set up. The race organizer also provided plenty of portopotties. Some of the pre-race amenities were curtailed by the chilly temperatures and the rain.

Course
The course itself is fantastic, challenging, but fantastic. I really do enjoy it.

Course Support
There were two water stops, in a 5k. One of those water stops was less than .2 from the finish line. Really? I definitely do not see the point of that water stop even for the hordes of much slower runners. The turns were all well marked. The set up around mile 2 by Greenville Track Club about their new race, a 2 miler on Memorial Day which I’m running, was pretty cool

Finish line and Post Race Amenities
GHS always has a well stocked finish line area. The parking lot behind Travelers Rest Family Medicine served as the immediate post race area. Unfortunately they chose to provide red delicious apples which are my least favorite apple. Back at Gateway Park was a really neat set up of hot dogs and chicken patties along with chips as well as a band playing. I think that the chilly weather kept a lot of people from heading back that way.

Photography
Pace Magazine took pictures and did a fairly good job for the number of people running.

Results
The MC announced that there would be a scoreboard provided by Setup Events in Gateway Park so that one could look up your results when you finished. However, when I was in that area I did not see that board. When I got around to looking up the results they had been posted and were easy to find.