Photos are here:   https://photos.app.goo.gl/pPBzQwJvAPtQSqfY9   

Before the start:   My 35^th race of 2024 was The Big Run 5K held on June 8^th, at McAllister Park, with a 7:30 a.m. start time. The Big Run celebrates Global Running Day. Prior to the event you had to choose a day to pick up your packet a few days before race day at one of the local Fleet Feet stores, and then had to go to that specific store to get your packet.  If I remember correctly, race day packet pickup was quite limited, so it was best to get your packet at one of the Fleet Feet stores. I think with all these people, it would have gotten really crazy if packet pickup had been open for all, so probably a good method to use for this popular event. I heard there were over 500 registered for this event; the results for the live event show 403 finishers, so some participants may have done it virtually.  The start finish area was near the pavilion at the lower soccer fields of  the park. With a 7:30 a.m. start, I figured if I left at 6 and got there by 6:30 a.m. – I live really close to the park – I’d get some nice parking.  Apparently, lol, everyone else had the same idea; parking was already packed in when I got there.  I did find parking fairly close, and then before the start enjoyed chatting with friends and other participants, sponsors, vendors, volunteers, etc.  We had fairly nice weather for it, with a mix of sunshine and cloud cover, although it was pretty darn humid, and the temp was already in the upper 70s, low 80s.

On the course:   The planners arranged the start quite nicely, with the ‘elite’ runners, heading onto the course a little before the main body of participants started, so they could maintain their speedy paces without getting ‘crowd-interrupted’. The rest of us started about 10 or so minutes after the elites left. We started on the road where the lower soccer fields were on our right, and the pavilion restrooms were on our left.  The course was nice and flat. We went past the youth baseball field on our right and then continued straight, going onto a road that goes toward Becken Pavilion and a 3-way stop-sign intersection in the park. This part of the course took us to Mile 1.  We did not go as far up as Becken Pavilion; we turned left onto a paved running trail that was a short way down from Becken Pavilion.  This trail wound us through a shady part of the park, and then onto a paved trail that went past a police substation on our left. We continued around on this trail and then took a left turn that took us across the road that is right then park entrance road from Jones Maltberger. After crossing the road, we continued on the paved trail.  This brought us just down from Becken Pavilion, which was down the street to our right. We crossed over the street, got on the paved trail on the other side and then proceeded to a trail intersection that put us now behind the youth baseball stadium.  We turned right onto this trail, going behind the baseball field, which we could see on our left. At the next trail intersection, we turned left; if we’d turned right, we would have gone to Becken Pavilion; this left turn took us back to the road we had initially started on, with the baseball field now on our left, and proceeded back to the finish line the way we had first come out. As usual, I did my 8-minutes-run/2 minutes-walk thing and took photos during my walk breaks; however after my walk break just a tad past Mile 2, I then ran nonstop to the finish.  There were only 3 in my 70-99 age group, so I ended 2^nd, with a chip time of 40:53.  My friend Jim, also in my age group, runs quite a speed pace – 8-minute miles –  so I knew I was not getting first, lol. My slow old legs averaged 13:10 per mile and it’s all good. These days, I’m not into the ‘shoot for the medal’ thing anymore after 41 years of being a runner (I started April 15, 1983 – tax day! – when I was assigned in Turkey, so I always remember the date). My goals these days are just have fun, finish standing up, and no ambulance waiting for me at the finish, lol.  So far so good! If I get a medal, great; but it’s not something I intentionally shoot for;  all good.

 After my finish:  A short cool-down walk, get some hydration in me and then got a few post-race photos.  I then went and just relaxed for a while at the pavilion, getting in some more liquids while enjoying a chat with my speedy friend Woody, who just about always places in his age group. After that, I wandered around some more, chatting with volunteers, participants, sponsors, etc., and got some after-photos.  I also, as usual, had a pocketful of doggie treats, so handed those out to the dogs there as I wandered about. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Epilogue:  This is quite an active event, with some games to play; a raffle; a costumed dragon wandering around; many running organization tents/booths – such as Speed Burro Running, Wolfpack Running, Scallywompus and more; lots of Team Beef members there, as well as, Brooks Running, Fleet Feet, and more – and there were also some nice post-race goodies, including Kiolbassa sausages; these frozen popsicle stick things of various flavors; Shiner beer; various fruits, and lots more. The race shirt is of very nice quality – although my old man brain can’t remember now where I put mine, lol, after I picked up my packet – and very unique award medals from E-Dragon for those that placed, and a very nice finisher medal for all finishers; and even the race bib is very nicely designed.  As noted, this is a dog-friendly, chair-friendly, and kid friendly event. I will certainly do this one again and would recommend it to others. Mucho thanks to all the people that made this one happen for we participants, including E-Dragon Productions; Fleet Feet and Brooks Running which, I think, were the major sponsors, but I may be mistaken on that; Kiolbassa Sausage for those tasty sausages; Shiner Beer; the person that led the pre-start warm up stretching; all the many, many volunteers out there for us, and the Park Police officers out there for our safety; our MC Anthony Z. and our music guy Paul, doing their usual great job; and anyone else involved I may not have mentioned here.  Thanks for giving us participants this event. Hope to see you sometime at a future race.