Lake Geneva 5K - Age Group Award!

This morning, Mom and I ventured west to Lake Geneva. Having run the marathon two years ago and the 10K last year, I decided to try the 5K this year. We arrived shortly after 7 a.m., so I had plenty of time to get my race number and warm up before the 8:15 a.m. start.

I managed third in my age group in the 10K last year, so I had hopes for another award today. I started near the front of the pack, and held my pace fairly well. It was tough to tell who was in the 10K and who was with me in the 5K, but I knew I was in the top ten. The course had LOTS of hills. Up and down I went, trying to keep things around 7:00/mile pace.

I reached 1.55 miles on my GPS, but there wasn't a sign anywhere telling me to head back, so I kept going. Thirty seconds later, I came to the top of a hill and spotted the turnaround point, which was actually 1.75 miles from the start.

Heading back and maintaining my top ten position, I enjoyed the encouragement from the oncoming runners. I had to remind some of them to keep right to ensure I had a place to run, but it was no big deal. About a mile from the finish, a gentleman cheerfully shouted, "You're number six!", so I knew my position.

One runner passed me before the final straightaway, leaving me in seventh. With less than 500 feet to go, one other runner and I caught up to a third runner, setting up a three-horse sprint to the finish for sixth place. I had the stuff today, so I pulled ahead and didn't need to go "all out" to hold them off. I finished with a chip time of 24:31. Adjusting my pace for the length of the course, which was 3.5 miles, I averaged seven minutes a mile.

Here's a link to the results. You'll notice that I am listed in seventh place overall instead of sixth. Why, you ask? One of the runners who I beat in the final stretch had actually started further back in the pack, so his CHIP time was two seconds faster than mine. Maybe I should have gone all-out at the finish. Oh, well.

Among the male 25-29 age group, I finished third. However, since the age group winner was third overall, he was not counted in the age group results, so I was announced in second place. The person who finished behind me on the clock (but ahead of me on the chip) was awarded first in the age group. The prizes were the same for everyone, so it didn't really matter to me.

To sum things up, I am thrilled with 7:00 pace on a very hilly 3.5-mile course. So long from Lake Geneva!