2025 Sandy City Turkey Trot 5K Race Recap - Sandy, UT

Official Time: 26:53
Placement: 1st in age group, 54th overall
Race Website: Here

Results: Results
Weather: mid 40's 10 mph breeze from the north
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2013] [2014] [2021] [2022] [2023] [2024]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:04	Feeling good and in control. Slight downhill
2	8:42	The bumpy bike trail was throwing me off. Felt like I was running faster
3	9:24	Uphill to the start. I didn't give up.
3.10	0:39	Push it to the finish!
	Total Miles: 3.10 - 26:51

Sunny Day at Lone Peak Park

Introduction

It's been a while since I've done a race and finally I had a weekend that didn't involve moving stuff from Point A to Point B.

I had a choice between two races: the Vineyard Blizzard 5K in Vineyard or the Sandy Turkey Trot.  Honestly, I was torn between the two races, each having their own charms.  Since a bunch of my friends were running Sandy, and it was closer, and I was in desperate need of a new t-shirt (I only have about a dozen -- the rest are in storage).  With some misgiving, I opted in for the Sandy City race.

I had done the Sandy race for many years but from 2015 to 2019 it conflicted with the Las Vegas Marathon, so I had take a break from it.  

The Race

The race is held at Lone Peak Park, an easy drive from my current location.  There is ample parking there and is a suitable place for a race: with bathrooms and a pavilion.  There were about 211 other runners there for the 5K.

I arrived just after 9 AM, found parking, grabbed my bib and shirt.  I had about 30 minutes to warm-up before the race start.  It was a beautiful morning -- chilly enough to question myself as to whether I wanted to wear gloves (I opted no).  The sun was bright and there was only a hint of a breeze.  I wound up doing about a 1.5 miles of easy running and a few strides and drills before deeming myself as ready to race.

First turn out of the park

The race starts in the park on the sidewalk.  It is a clustered start and it can get crowded.  I had moved up to the front but still a respectful distance from the frontrunners.  The race started suddenly at 10 AM and we were off.

The first quarter mile or so is run on the sidewalk of the perimeter of the park.  Other than it being slightly congested, it was a pretty place to run.  I eased into the race -- but looking at my pace, it was anything but easy.  I was moving comfortably forward.  I was locked in with a couple of kids who loved my Chick-n-legs Thanksgiving themed shorts.

The kids were probably a 5th of my age and the two boys took off. I wound up running the great majority of the race with their sister.

Another quick right turn

Then down this road

After running the perimeter of the park, we exited the park and into a subdivision.  The course was well marked and they had marshals at all the turns (a few years ago they didn't).  On the open road, I could settle into a decent pace without worrying about trampling over anyone.

I felt like I was running at a solid effort and I was feeling good.  The front runners had left me in their dust.  The people I was running with were all half my age.  I saw a few senior aged runners ahead of me but I had no idea if they were in my age group at all.  It sure would be nice to win something at my coming out race.

At .6 make another right turn

Then head down this street

After a series of turns through the housing area, we were dumped off on the Porter Rockwell bike trail.  I was also greeted with a bit of a headwind.  The first mile had a descent of about 51 feet.  There were also some uphill sections.  Mile 1 rang up on my Garmin in 8:04.  The only time I had glanced at my watch was to mark how long it was from one of the final turns to the finish line (.60) but I was pleased with the time.  I knew the first mile was the fastest, though, but I was still feeling good.

Mile 1 to 2 -- I was determined to hang on.  I wouldn't call the bike trail flat and with the wind; it just made it challenging.  Also, there were a few points where I thought that the bottom of my shoe had come off.  Either that, or I was losing control of my left foot (it was only the left foot).  I almost stopped to check my shoe figuring I was going to be walking.  It turns out the trail has some hidden divots and it is easy to trip on sections of the indentations.  It definitely took my focus off of running for about a quarter mile, but eventually I was able to clear the area.

Stretch of Bike Trail

There were also a few loops around some very small little league-like fields.  This definitely caused me to lose a bit of my momentum.  I knew it was going to be there, and in some ways it was nice to catch a break from the straight-aways.

I also got an opportunity to see if anyone in my age group was in the front back (it was kind of an out-and-back course).  I counted at least two potential competitors in my age group that were significantly ahead of me.  

Finally a lap around the infield of a baseball field and I was heading back to the starting line.  I was still running with the girl and a few guys half my age.  At times, I put down a bit of a burst and if I had to guess my pace, I would've told you about 8:25 - 8:30.  Turns out, I was running 8:42.

After exiting the bike trail, climb this hill!

The final mile is a challenge.  Remember the first mile with its net descent? Well, now we'd have to run up it. I was pretty spent but still mentally in the game.  I hadn't given up and despite a flagging mile 2, I was hoping I could still turn in the same effort for the final mile.

After exiting the bike trail I had the most challenging section of the race.  It was a simple hill -- not more than .2 of a mile, but my pace cratered.  I was doing a shuffle of 11:30 or so at times.  The runners around me -- their paces slowed as well.  At least I was in good company.

Once I got to the top of hill however, my turnover increased but I was unable to get back to the 8:40 pace.  I had competition I was working against and a guy who had passed me at about mile 2 (who appeared to be in my age) -- I was beginning to real him in.  He definitely was acting like he was hurting.  By mile 2.5 I sailed past him but for the final stretch I occasionally glanced over my shoulder to see if he had anything left to chase me down.

Grind to the finish

I was working with another guy (again half my age) and we were swapping spots.  It was nice to have company and someone to challenge me.  

With about .35 miles to go, we entered the park again and I was really hoping to drop the hammer.  But my pace was still stuck in the mid 9's.  I was working hard and still trying but my 5K pace was completely shot.  It wasn't until the last .15 miles I was able to kick it up a notch.

Home stretch!

The young man I was working against had another gear (or two) and he pulled away from me -- so much for a sprint finish.  No one else was behind me but I still acted like someone was.

I made the final turn and saw the Sandy City 5K race flags welcoming me back to the start line.

Conclusion

So I had checked my watch a time or two in the park and I knew I wasn't going to hit my A goal time.  I had visions of maybe clocking 25:50 -- anything under 26 minutes I would've been happy with. Instead, I barely cracked 27 minutes.

I came into the race feeling largely fresh and with two months of nothing but a healthy amount of training, I felt like I didn't live up to my goals.  Granted, the course is not a fast one but it is an honest one.  I also came in about 50 seconds slower than last year.

About how I felt at the end -- meh

Was I despondent?  No.  But I wasn't too happy.  Although if I had to take home a positive from the race it was that I didn't give up.  I felt like I ran a good race.  

With some trepidation, I checked the race results and after some wrangling by the race timer (some ages were not entered correctly) I discovered I had won the 55 to 59 age division.  

I wound up winning a medal and a pumpkin pie (enough to feed a small family).  For a low budget race, they do have some nice prizes.  

Prizes!

I like this race.  The course is challenging and an honest one.  The distance came in at 3.10 miles and any hill advantages I had, I had to pay it back on the return.

They had bananas, granola bars and water at the end.  Pretty basic fare but expected for a 5K at about $35.  The shirt is a cotton one but as usual, they have a cute Thanksgiving Day Theme on the front of it.  I love the Sandy City's t-shirt designs.

Fun with Friends!

Once again, I had MUCH higher hopes for myself.  I came in fairly fresh feeling, my warm-up had gone well, but I think the course got the best of me.  I think I have more to give but 

I also really enjoyed seeing my friends -- many I haven't seen in quite a while with my race hiatus.  As my time in Salt Lake dwindles away, it'll be hard not to have them in my corner when I decide to race.

Upcoming Races

11/27: 2025 South Davis Recreation Center Thanksgiving Day Run 5K - Bountiful, UT (Confirmed)

02/22: 2026 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)

03/26: 2026 Mount Charleston Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)

2025 October Running Report

Morning runs have been my staple all summer.

Running Updates

I haven't updated my readers in a few weeks, which is just "odd".  As someone who frequently races and reports about them, I am sure some faithful readers may be wondering "What happened?"

After the Swiss Days 10k I felt like I turned in a subpar performance.  It was a culmination of a series of races that I just didn't run well at.  I was frustrated, sore, beat up and just fatigued.

Spotted a fire in the mountains at 4 AM

I had put in a long summer of training. Lots of early morning sessions, races most weekend, and loading up on a fair amount of miles.  From about June 1st to the end of August I had run on 84% of the days and sometimes twice a day.  I was training really hard and not seeing any results.

It was time to take a step back and analyze what I was doing to myself.

Got to visit Illinois and do some runs there!

Changes

So first I had to address the overall fatigue and soreness.  Running easy wasn't cutting it. I figured that I could skip a rest day and do 2 - 3 miles "easy".  These easy runs were indeed easy, but offered very little training value.  They were done at 12+ minutes per mile.  Sure, they helped my mood and burned a few calories, but it wasn't a 100% recovery day, which is what I needed.  I took several days off and now have ditched the low value runs into total rest days.

Perhaps the easiest change was quitting signing up for races.  Fortunately, there was a lull in the race scene and to be honest, I was just really busy with life changes.

The Glacial Trail in Richmond, IL

Pizza post run!

I dropped the mileage by about 30%.  This helped give my body a break from the 40+ mile weeks.  I've lost interest in the "long" runs over time and without a big half marathon on deck, I was okay with dropping the mileage.

I opted out of the shorter interval workouts I was doing and started doing more threshold work.  I felt like I needed help sustaining a solid pace, versus blasting a few minute intervals.  The pace isn't as intense as the shorter bursts and I don't feel like it beats me up as much. In addition, I can do them a little more often.  There is the promise I'll get faster.

I've also ditched a lot of the super easy runs and bumped up the pace a little.  The "zone 2" or "80/20" plans didn't really do much for me as far as my fitness went.

So far, I've felt a little more invigorated, but I don't feel particularly fit, nor speedy.

Future Home site

Life Changes

It looks like by the end of the year I'll be relocating, permanently to Las Vegas.  I've always wanted to live there and at one point, I was gung-ho to move there. I sort of  figured it would have to wait until retirement.

Through a series of events, we opted in on Las Vegas. For a while, we were seriously considering Reno but I think Las Vegas offered a little more for me.  

Cardio Moving!

I work from home so I can virtually live just about anywhere.  It is an over 55 community and I'll have access to a pool, biking, and other fitness equipment at a very nice gym.  I am just hoping the running community is as strong as it is here in Salt Lake.

I still figure to be a regular at the Southern Utah races and I don't doubt that once in a while I'll make my way northward for a special race or two in Salt Lake.

So with some apprehension, I am looking forward to new territories to run in and new friends to be made.  But in a way as well, I am saddened, because the last 13 years have been a blast here.

All the packing and moving and preparation though, has left me fatigued and have added considerable stress.  It was yet another reason why I opted to take a step back from running.

Stay tuned for races, hopefully soon!

Upcoming Races

11/08: 2025 Sandy City Turkey Trot 5K - Sandy, UT (Confirmed)

11/27: 2025 South Davis Recreation Center Thanksgiving Day Run 5K - Bountiful, UT (Confirmed)

02/22: 2026 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)

03/26: 2026 Mount Charleston Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)

2025 Swiss Days 10K Race Recap - Midway, UT

Arriving at 6:15 AM -- chilly out!

Official Time: 1:01:26
Placement: 66th overall, 7th in the 50 - 59 age division
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Mid 40's, no wind
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2023] [2022] [2021] [2019] [2018] [2017] [2016]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:42	Right on target. Holding steady. Let's see what this race has to offer
2	9:20	Grinding up a steady hill
3	8:39	Fast mile here. Mostly downhill.
4	9:56	Fatigue setting in. Begin to climb Memorial Hill
5	10:22	Wrap up Memorial Hill. Get a bee sting and heading back down.
6	8.33	Grind uphill then mostly flat until the finish.  Just wanting to be done.
6.64	5:52	Longest finish ever
	Total Miles: 6:64- 1:01:27

Starting line just before the start

Introduction

To kick off the fall racing season -- and to celebrate Labor Day Weekend, I have usually done the Swiss Days 10K race in Midway Utah.  

For the uninitiated, Swiss Days is kind of a big deal.  It draws thousands of attendees who come to enjoy the bucolic Swiss town, enjoy food, entertainment, and buy knick-knacks (as I like to call them).  The Saturday morning's first activity is the 10K race, which takes places on the city streets of Midway.  Although, we are only in the heart of the downtown area for a little before disappearing into the more residential areas.

Last year, the race didn't happen.  They did have a 1 mile race, but there was no way I was going to drive nearly an hour to run a simple 1 mile race.  I think a lot of people were upset.  This year, they did find a race director and someone willing to hold the race -- so the 2025 edition of Swiss Days (and it has been in existence for quite some time) was "on".

First stretch of the course.

The Race

So I quickly found out upon arrival that this was going to be a new course.  There was some road construction coming into town and that construction included some of the race course's roads.  I sort of know Midway, but I only visit once a year.  So I kind of got a gist of the course, but I got the hint that it was going to be a hilly one.

How bad could it be?

After some brief instructions, we took off just a hair after 7 AM.  Like previous years, we headed south on Center Street.  Normally, we hang a right at the first intersection.  And in fact, I saw several runners in the middle of the pack (like me) attempt to make a turn but they were waved off.  The lead pack and many others had gone straight.

Smaller race this year

This was mistake number 1.  We were supposed to make a right. But we went about another 2 blocks before turning right and going down Main Street.  I had never run along here.  And after another block or two, we hung another right and soon I found myself on familiar ground -- just like races in the past.

Despite the confusion, I ran okay -- 8:42 for the first mile.  About what I expected to do.

The mile 1 mile marker showed up about .35 late.  I figured at this point there was an error in laying out the markers, or we indeed missed the first turn.  It turns out, it was the latter and I knew we were in for at least a 6.5 mile 10K.

The stretch from mile 1to 2 is always a challenge. It is definitely work as you make a slight climb.  It is a straight shot and you are surrounded by houses and some farm fields.  Lots of memories came over me from the many years I've run this course.  My pace dropped, but I felt like I was still holding steady.  

Ascending Memorial Hill

Normally at the end of the road we turn left and head towards the Wasatch State Park Entrance.  This year, we hung a right.  I was greeted with the best site ever: sweet downhill where I normally smash the my best mile.

Mile 2, despite the downhill, came in slower than I had hoped -- but not totally unexpected.  A 9:20 this early in the race could be salvaged.

The start of mile 3 was great. I was flying, finally.  I was a little fatigued from all the racing I've done, but this was definitely one of the more enjoyable sections of the race.  The downhill didn't last as long as I hoped, but it did buoy my confidence.

Mile 3 ran up in 8:39. I wanted it to be faster, but I knew my pace was settling back into a normal 10K rhythm.  I also knew that there was a hill up ahead.  If it was the one I thought I was going to encounter, I knew I had better have something left.

I had sort of surveyed my competition at the starting line.  I got the impression, that likely, my age group was stacked.  There seemed to be lot of older guys there.  Despite a fairly low turnout (for this race) I had some hopes of placing, but I also knew that the age groups were 10 year increments.  I was likely going to need a lot of luck to place here.

After about the 5K point, the course headed off the beaten track.  I did pass by an aid station, but it was on the other side of the road and if my memory serves, it was the only aid station in the race.  I wound up not taking anything, although a sip of something would've been nice.

My pace dropped off and sure enough we were heading towards Memorial Hill.  This is a prominent hill that leads to a Veterans' Memorial Marker at the top.  Along the way, visitors are treated to views of the Heber Valley.  I had a feeling sometime in the past I had climbed up to the top, but it had been a long time ago.  Either way, runners run around the circumference of the hill via a dirt road until they reach the top and do a lap around the perimeter before descending.

My pace suddenly dropped to the low 11's. I was in marathon shuffle mode. So much for a bragworthy time.

Mile 4 -- still differing by about .35 of a mile from my watch -- came in 9:56.

Despite the work required to climb this hill (my Garmin is suggesting it was about 250 feet), I was enjoying the views.  It was actually stunning and I whipped out my camera for a photo or two.  At this point, a few seconds off my time wasn't really going to matter.

About this time I had an unusual experience.  I was running along, hugging the inside part of hill, just working my way up, when all of the sudden I was being buzzed by bees.  Lots of them.  Whether they were hornets or wasps, really don't matter, but I seemed to be under attack.  I literally screamed and started frantically trying to brush them off.  I felt a sting in my leg, my arm and my ear.  Fortunately, they didn't follow me and I heard people behind me screaming too.

The summit! Finally.

Long story short, I am told, that a lead runner was doing exactly what I was doing: hugging the corner and brushed against a tree or shrub and disturbed the nest.  And those bees were definitely angry and attacking anyone who got near.

After I got by it, I took stock of my situation.  I was a little "pukey" feeling from the stings and my nerves were rattled.  I took it easy for a bit and got to the summit of the hill.  I did a lap at the top and made my way down.  There was only one way off this hill and it was the way I came.  I figured the best I could do was try and stay to the outside of the hill and get by it as soon as possible. Fortunately, I'd be running downhill.

What a view

Running downhill was so much fun and I took advantage of it.  Perhaps I could close this race out with a fast finish.  I warned everyone I could about the bees on the way down (I wish the other lead runners had warned me as well).  I did manage not avoid them and not get stung anymore.

I crossed the mile 5 marker at 10:22.  All things considered not too bad.

I could see the LDS stake where we'd finish and it seemed so close, yet far away.  Just how long was this course going to be?  The mile markers were still coming up significantly long. I still had plenty of endurance, but I wanted this race to be done.

I was now running back in the residential areas and mostly running alone.  A few other runners were working with me, but it was mostly solo running at this point.  I had pretty much given up hope of an age group placement... but I was still going to go for a fast finish.

I had parked near the mile 6 sign and my car was a welcome sight. I had just run an 8:33 mile.  Some of it was benefited by the downhill, but I still had maintained a pretty good pace in the flat section.

The final turn arrived and I hooked a right. I could see the finish line at the top and I just wanted to cross it.  My ear seemed swollen and parts of my body still felt like it had been stung.  I gave whatever I could in that final quarter mile sprint and just willed myself to finish.  With little fanfare, I sped across the finish line -- in just over an hour.

You can see me finish at this YouTube link.

Conclusion

So this race was kind of a hot mess for me. The extra distance threw my confidence in the tank and getting stung didn't help.  It was just a challenging course and as someone coming in the race somewhat dead legged, it just seemed harder than it should've been.

On the plus side, we had nice weather but running at 5300+ feet made this one even harder.

T-Shirt

Overall, I liked the older course better.  This one had some great views and it was a lot more challenging, but the bee sting incident sort of soiled my experience.  Also, it made it harder to compare myself to other times I've run this race.

Suffice to say, though, I am just glad this race happened.  I really enjoy this race and despite some of the missteps / misfortunes, I'd love to come back. I do think there could've been 1 more aid station and the one around mile 3.2 wasn't accessible, since most of the runners had already jumped to the other side of the street.  I do think that the mile markers were probably accurate if we hadn't missed the first turn.  That being said, I think there could've been some better markings on the course (spray chalk) perhaps.

The t-shirt was an awesome design but it is cotton.  It'll be relegated to weekend wear.  Still a cool one though.  There wasn't a finisher's medal for this race, which is always sort of sad.

Due to the bee situation and the long course, if you knew who to ask, you could score a free breakfast ticket ($10 value), which was awesome.  The breakfast, which kicks off Saturday's Swiss Day events is a good one.

Swiss Days Event Area

Post race refreshments were jam sandwiches, fruit (bananas and oranges), protein fortified drinks, and water.  I definitely missed the gourmet donuts they usually have at the end.

All things considered, I wasn't mad about my race performance.  Given the nature of the course and the adversity I ran into, I want to say I did okay.

I came in 7th in my age group.  I think if I had managed to run a little faster, I could've come in quite a bit higher.  I think the bee sting and a few extra photos cost me a place or two.

Upcoming Races

09/21: 2025 Main Street Fest 5K - Cary, IL (Confirmed)

02/22: 2026 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)

03/26: 2026 Mount Charleston Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)

2025 Path to Opioid Prevention Half Marathon Race Recap - Riverdale, UT

Official Time: N/A
Placement: N/A
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: mid 70s with breeze from the south
Course Map / Garmin Route: Here
Previous Years: [2024]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	9:27	Into the wind. Man is it warm out!
2	9:13	Got into a tailwind.  Still feeling warm, but nice tailwind
3	9:21
4	9:29	On to a dirt trail
5	9:40	Easy start -- into a pretty good wind.
6	9:32	Seriously debating on quitting at the halfway point
7	9:40	Really working hard. Perhaps I should've stopped
8	9:56	Running on fumes.
9	12:17	Done.
10	15:30	Mostly walking back
11	17:07	Mostly walking
	Total Miles: 11 - 2:01:35

Introduction

Last year, I ran the Path to Opioid Prevention 5K -- a charity run supporting ways to avoid the perils of Opioid addiction in beautiful Riverdale UT.  After completing the 5K, I was so awed by the course I knew I wanted to come back and run the half marathon.

I normally don't run half marathons in the summer, so stating that I wanted to run the longer edition of the race took some guts.  But I figured I may suffer a bit, I could finish it and experience the Weber River Trail.

Starting line area

The Race

The race was held in Riverdale Utah, about an hour from my place.  I brought 2 new racers to the event as well -- how could we pass up an affordable race?  I think I also sold them on the beautiful course and the race's societal benefits.

They had two bus pickup times, 6 AM and 6:30.  We got on the 6:30 AM bus.  Everything was well timed and we had plenty of time to make it to the starting line and use the bathrooms.  Transportation took about 10 minutes and was on a simple yellow school bus.

Dirt trail portion

There were only about 60 runners for the half marathon (they had quite a showing for the 5K).  The race isn't chip timed but we were assembled around 7:00 AM and headed out with little fanfare.

The race headquarters was at an LDS church.  They had about 3 porta potties for us, which turned out to be plenty.  

Once the race started, we headed into a quick neighborhood run and we were greeted with a bit of a headwind.  I knew it was going to be a challenging today on account of the heat, but the wind too?  Fortunately, we only had to run about a mile into the wind, which was coming down the canyon.

After about a mile, we were running along 6600S.  It was a lightly trafficked road.  Beside us, locomotives ran back and forth.  It was kind of cool to be honest and took my mind on how hot the race was.  Already, I had worked up a decent sweat and I felt like I was working harder than I should've for a half marathon.  By pace was well over 2-hour pace but today it felt hard.

The first 5K or so was along residential street and I rather enjoyed this section.  It reminded me of some of the farm roads in Illinois that I used to run along.

At the 5K point, I was right on target where I wanted to run.  I had hopes that I was going to run 2 hours but I think that was going to be a stretch given the temperatures -- and I had heard that the course had some dirt sections.

After hitting the 5K mark, we jumped onto a dirt trail.  It was rocky in spots and there were some spots where the Weber River had worn away the banks of the trail, but technically -- it wasn't that technical of a trail at all.  The race is small enough where I was never hemmed in on the thin trail and there were other cyclists, runners and dog walkers on it too.  It was also beautiful with the river and vegetation.

I was still working hard by the time I reached the 5K race's turn around.  They too had started at 7 AM and I only ran into a few walkers at the tail end of the race.  It was also the time the race turned into pavement.  Finally, a little more bounce from my shoes!

Memories of last's year race came back.  The miles were clicking off quickly but I was started to get achy and sore.  I had put in a fairly solid training week followed by some work around the house, so my legs were fried from the get go.  I had carried my own hydration (as well as getting some hydration, which was offered at about every 2.5 miles), but I still don't think I was drinking enough.  And I was still sweating a lot, despite the tree's cover from the rising sun.

At about mile 6.5 or so, we pass right by the exit to the finish line.  I could hear the 5K runners celebrating their accomplishment.  I was tempted, though, to call it a day and peel off the course. I knew hard times were coming and mentally I wasn't quite ready for that thought, so early.

I had faced hard races before and things would get difficult, but I could push on.  Perhaps the thoughts of quitting were just fears.  My pace was still holding okay but I knew I wasn't going to be able to hold it.  It was just a matter of when I'd be doing the marathon shuffle, not if.

I left the noise behind me and proceeded to mile 7.  I had run a few miles of this stretch of trail on my cooldown last year and a memory of a Halloween run I had done came back to me as I progressed further northward.

The route also got a little hillier and I remember grabbing water from an aid station, and it was ice cold.  And it seemed to hit my gut like a heavy weight. It was awesome, but it just didn't sit well.  I had to go up a hill and I wound up walking it -- it was a very short hill -- but one that I just decided to walk up.  And once I got to the top, I felt sick and kind of woozy.  My pace had already dropped considerably.  I looked at my watch and I was about a quarter of a mile from mile 9.  By my calculation, I had about another .75 to .9 of a mile to go before the turn around.

Given that the race was so lightly attended, I stood there. Part of me was wanting to walk to the turn around and part of me knowing the race was over and that walking wasn't something really wanted to do.

Perhaps panic set in, I pulled off my bib and started to walk to the finish line.  I tried running periodically, but I never could hold any sort of a run longer than a minute or so.  I was just drained.

It took about 2 miles to walk to the finish line and I reported myself as a "Did Not Finish".

Conclusion

So this was the 2nd race I've ever not completed; the other being the 2017 Las Vegas Marathon. 

In hindsight, I probably panicked over my state.  I could've forced myself through the race.  A lot of it was ego (I didn't want to be caught in a death march) and part of it was genuine fear that I was not doing well from the heat.  I was upset about it, but not overly so; it happens.  It was also a painful reminder to respect the distance and response the weather.  Also, I came in with a very casual attitude.  I was kind of using it as a supported training run to see where I was at for future half marathons. 

There were some positives though: I did pace myself pretty well and I did bank 9 miles of solid effort.  I just wished I had come in with fresher legs.  Also, the course was pretty. Last year's write-up has way more photos.  

The race was $35.  I heard rumors they had a half price sale as well. I believe the 5K was $25.  You really can't beat that in terms of pricing for any race, let alone a half marathon.  

They had well stocked aid stations (although, I heard rumors they ran out of cups) that had gels, water and sports drink.  We were all a little worried about whether we'd get lost on this course given how small the race was, but the race was easy to figure out and any turns were clearly marked / marshalled.

The race organizers also had nice medals, a jam-packed goodie bag and t-shirt.  The t-shirt is a cotton one and was like last year's.  There was also food and drink after the race as well.

I highly recommend this race.  We all enjoyed it and I think the general consensus was that we'd go back again - even just for the 5K.  It looks like this race is slowly getting larger and other runners should give this one a shot.

Upcoming Races

08/30: 2025 Swiss Days 10K -- Midway, UT (Confirmed)

02/22: 2026 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)

03/26: 2026 Mount Charleston Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)