The Human Race – Waynesville, North Carolina, June 6, 2009
Mark your calendar for this. It’s at Waynesville Middle School and starts at 8:30 AM. I ran this race last year and it’s flat and fast. So if you’re looking to start off your Saturday with a confidence-booster, go set a PR in the Human Race.
The race is limited to 250 registrants and this is part of the Asheville Track Club Grand Prix series, so it will have a good turnout. The cost is $20 before Saturday and $25 on Saturday.
There is a registration form you can download from the race website http://www.gloryhoundevents.com/humanrace.html
You can also sign up at the race. Here are directions …
From Asheville:
- I-40 West to Exit 27 (Turns into US 19/23/74
- Exit 100, Turn Left
- Left at first traffic signal (Sulphur Springs Road)
- Right on Boyd Avenue
- Right on Brown Avenue – School is on left, parking and track on right (495 Brown Avenue)
From Sylva:
- US 23/74 East
- Exit 100, Turn Right
- Left at first traffic signal (Sulphur Springs Road)
- Right on Boyd Avenue
- Right on Brown Avenue – School is on left, parking and track on right (495 Brown Avenue)
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About 130 runners turned out for this. Weather was very nice; as we drove to Waynesville, the skies were clearing, and by race time we had blue skies. The temperature was around 60.
Despite the fairly small crowd, I could see that the horses had turned out for this race– plenty of guys who could (and would) finish before me. Anyway, it was a fast and flat course, mostly a very slight uphill on the way out, then a very slight downhill on the way back. I understood the course to be U-shaped, with an extra turn before the final stretch.
At 8:30, we started. I don’t have a Garmin, and while I felt like I was doing well and running about a 7:00 pace for the first mile, I got to the ONE MILE marker and my watch read 7:30. I’m glad I was wise enough to realize that the mile marker was misplaced. I refused to give up hope that I could run a fast race. I stayed in a good frame of mind, and I tried to maintain a solid, steady pace. I think I ran about a 7:00 pace for almost the whole race, until the homestretch, when I gave it my all.
There was no clock at the end (I guess they saved money by not renting a clock) (?), but I ran with my watch, and I timed myself at 21:25. I checked with a man who ran with his Garmin, and his device recorded 3.14 miles.
I’m happy about this result. I beat my previous PR by 48 seconds.
Winners got plaques, and lots of people got door prizes. This is something like their tenth year running this race, so despite the bare bones appearance (no shelter, no big number to wear on my chest, no big clock at the end, etc.), the race officials really knew what they were doing. It was well run.
Sherry and Kimzey pulled down age group awards, which was nice. This was only Kimzey’s second 5k. All three of us set PRs.
And– it was nice to see Charles Dotson again. Still running at the age of 86, Mr. Dotson got yet another award, in the 70+ category. I still want to be like him when I grow up.
I don’t think they will reach 250. Last year I think it was about 100. And I think (I know) that the web page for this race was copied from a previous race page and there were many things that were not changed. I could go on with the details over a cup of coffee but I think nobody that shows up will be rejected and the organization and communication about this race needs to be tightened up.
I am registered for this one. Sherry’s talking about running it too. She is worried that we will arrive in Waynesville, and they’ll have reached their 250 cap. I don’t think it’s likely, but I can’t be certain.