This past Sunday I competed in my first 5k race at the Lindsay Milk Run.
I didn’t specifically train for this race, but I’ve completed two half marathons so far this year, and I’ve been getting a lot faster lately, so I decided that I wanted to go hard for this race and really test my speed.
As I mentioned, I’ve never completed a 5k race (although I have done some 5k fun runs), but I’ve competed in other races, so I have an idea of what to look for when it comes to good races. Sometimes small town runs aren’t always organized as well as some of the big money/big city races, but I found that this race, although participant numbers were under 600, had some big name sponsors and was very well organized.
The Details
The Venue: The start/finish area was at the Lindsay Recreation Complex which provided a nice venue for bib pick up. I didn’t have to wait in line to get my bib (although I did arrive almost an hour before the race started) or to use the washroom. It was also really nice that runners didn’t have to use a port-a-potty.
The Course: The 5k race started right on time and the course ran through some quiet residential streets. It was a beautiful sunny day, but it was nice that the course also provided some shade because there were lots of mature trees that lined the streets. There were some intersections with slightly busier traffic, but police officers were there to marshal and keep runners safe. There were also two water stations along the course.
The Extras: All participants were given a race shirt at bib pick up and a participation medal at the finish line (the medal is actually a cowbell – so cool!). The start/finish area also had some fun activities (a photo booth area, a fake cow you could “milk”, and a New Balance booth where I may have found my next pair of running shoes). But my favourite part was the post-race food – ice cream (also bagels, cheese, fruit, and chocolate milk)! It was a pretty good spread.
My Race
I went into this race with a goal time of under 24 minutes, but I’m also used to running longer distances so I knew that I would have to start a lot faster than I’m used to and just continue at that pace. Despite my lack of experience with 5k races I was able to stick to the plan and finish in 23:14. I’ve been surprising myself a lot with my speed lately and this was no exception. I thought running sub-24 would be a real struggle/barely possible. No way did I think I would finish closer to 23 minutes. Needless to say I was pretty happy with how this race turned out. I also placed second in my age group – a first for me!
The Verdict
I’m not sure if I’m biased because I got a new personal best time, but I had a great time at this race. It was very well organized, and also very FUN. I’m looking forward to competing at this race again in the future. At the award ceremony after the race it was announced that there will also be a half marathon distance added to the race in 2017, so no matter what distance you’re looking at competing in, you should check out the Lindsay Milk Run. I know I’ll definitely be back.
