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| Sun rising over American Fork Canyon |
Placement: 1st in the 55 - 59, 62nd out of 360
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: 57F. No wind and sunny
Garmin Route: Here
Previous Years: First Year for me
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: 57F. No wind and sunny
Garmin Route: Here
Previous Years: First Year for me
| Mile | Time | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:02 | Slow start, but a gentle grind uphill |
| 2 | 8:28 | Nice downhill section of the race. Finally can get up to speed |
| 3 | 8:36 | Solid effort here |
| 4 | 8:42 | Fatigue setting in but still holding steady |
| 5 | 9:03 | Gentle grade uphill and running on fumes |
| 6 | 8:29 | Intermingled with the 5K and downhill. Gave it all I had |
| 6.18 | 1:17 | Fast finish! |
| Total Miles: 6.18- 53:36 | ||
Introduction
So, this weekend I wasn't anticipating on racing. I was still pretty sore from last week's half marathon and I figured I could use the week as recovery and getting ready for future endeavors. However, in a group chat someone was willing to transfer a race bib to anyone who was interested in running the TIMP 10K. I had been toying with racing it -- it usually falls on the same weekend as the Taylorsville Races.
I figured why not, accepted the bib transfer and deemed, despite my fatigue and soreness, ready to race on Saturday morning.
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| Bus loading for the 10K |
The Race
I showed up to the Art Dye Park at 5:30 AM. The park was loaded with hundreds of cars who had parked for the big race of the day: the half marathon. I wound up (easily) finding some street parking that was close to the bus loading zone.
I had to be on a bus by 6 AM and I was able to jump on one, once the couple that had picked up my bib the day before had arrived. I was actually en-route by 5:45 AM.
I had to ride a bus to the start: located near the mouth of American Fork Canyon at an LDS church. It was about a 10 - 15 minute bus ride (if that). There were plenty of bathrooms and I had no more than 45 minutes to kill. I wound up socializing, warming up for a brief shake out run and getting a caffeinated GU into me.
The race started at 6:45 AM.
There were a few hundred people in attendance (about 360) and for some reason I was lined up near the front. It was like no one else wanted to be there. I didn't want to get boxed in from other runners so I made do. I knew faster runners were going to pass me immediately.
We started in the church's service drive and almost immediately made a right hand turn onto the main street. I hadn't run this race before, and had only studied the course briefly. I knew the first mile or so was going to be a gentle uphill.
Of course, I was immediately passed by dozens of runners. I was running solid but I felt like I was working a bit too hard. I told myself not to panic and be patient. The race should get immensely easier -- and soon.
As we headed east, I saw the American Fork Canyon entrance looming ahead. I wasn't sure how far we'd have to run in that way, but soon, I could see glimpses of half marathon runners snaking out of the canyon. Just shy of a mile, we joined with them and continued eastward. By the time we hit 1 mile, we made another right hand turn and joy of joys: downhill!
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| Runners at the starting line. |
We were now on a bike trail. And with the merging of the (faster) half marathon runners with me, things got a bit tight. I was never really stopped from running my pace, but I could no longer judge who was a 10K runner versus a half marathon runner.
I hadn't seen anyone that looked like they were in my age group at the start, but still, I was hoping to secure a top 3.
The bike trail was pretty and actually a joy to run on. The scenery changed a bit, with beautiful views of the valley, a lush golf course to the left and plenty of vegetation. I could settle into a groove. There were some uphill sections here though, and I took those easy and quickly got back into pace on the downhill or flats.
My legs were still pretty torched from the half marathon last weekend and I could feel a growing fatigue in them. They definitely didn't feel particularly springy despite running in my Saucony Endorphin Pro 3's. There were times when I felt like walking, but I endured and kept at it.
Mile 2 popped up at 8:28 -- solid and I was happy with that.
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| Crowds at the finish line |
The subsequent mile was like the 2nd. Bike trail running and a bit of street running. It was fun, beautiful and I was motivated. I was still getting passed by half marathon runners. I suspect they were running in the 1:30 to 1:40 range, so it wasn't unexpected. I took a sip of water at the first aid station and poured the rest over my head. It wasn't terribly hot, but it was warm.
Mile 4 to 5 is where I began to really struggle. The downhill had ended and I was primarily running on the flat Murdock Bike Trail. I wasn't really intrigued by the scenery anymore and my pace dropped off a cliff. I was still working hard but I was kind of in desperation mode.
The fatigue had caught up with me and I was really hoping the race would be over soon. Perhaps the race would be short -- or to my nightmare, long? The mile markers were consistently about .04 of a mile short of my watch from the start.
Starting at mile 5 was the memory mile. The mile was lined with deceased family members of runners. It was inspiring to see so many people memorializing their loved ones. It was also at this time I had merged in with the 5K runners. So now 3 different races were running to close out the race.
It got crowded at times but it was empowering to pass by 5K runners. I was still getting passed by half marathoners but I was passing some of the ones that had gone out too fast. I still had absolutely no clue who was running what and to be honest I really didn't care.
Most of the race, I had run before, but the final half mile or so, the sights became familiar. I had run the Steele Days race in 2023 and I remember suffering running the uphill portion of the course to the east of Art Dye Park. This time, I only had to contend with the downhill -- and it was just what I needed.
Others around me could smell the finish line as we zig-zagged down the S shaped curves at a breakneck pace. I could hear the murmur of the crowd in the distance. We were close!
I could barely make out the Runtastic finish line arches in the distance as I hit mile 6 and like my other comrades, I dug deep and pushed. I had a goal of going under 55 or better and upon glancing at my watch, I knew I was going to easily make that.
There were hundreds of people lined up along the finish line and they were cheering us on. With over 2000 runners in attendance, those that had already finished or who had brought their family and friends, were giving us great support. It spurred me on and I did a sprint finish; and I sped through in 53:36....
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| 1st in my age group! |
Conclusion
The course came in just shy of 6.20 miles, but given how much tree cover and turns I had to make, the course was arguably accurate. The course also was challenging -- while there was 100 feet more of descent versus ascent, there was enough uphill to challenge myself.
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| Smiles at the finish line! |
I will say the course is fast though. Other than the first mile, it is one that you could really cover quickly.
There were 3 aid stations on the course and the course was well marked and marshaled. With so many runners on the course it was hard not to know your way. At times the course did get crowded but overall, I didn't feel like it hindered my time in any way.
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| T-shirt, age group award and finisher's medal |
I really was happy with the course too. It was new to me and other than the stretch of bike trail from 4 to 5, I was interested in where I was running.
As usual, Runtastic did a great job with the medals. The half marathon finisher one was beautiful. The age group medals were huge as well. Definitely well worth hanging around for.
Post race refreshments were bananas, oranges, chocolate milk, water and Powerade. There were some vendors in attendance offering soft drinks and ice creams.
There were a LOT of people at the finish line. It was overwhelming, but with the race having over 2000 runners, it wasn't unexpected. I was sort of expecting a morass to get out of the park area, but actually it went smoothly.
The shirt is a nice design. It is a blended shirt of cotton and polyester. I would probably wear it a lot more if it was 100% polyester, but the design is cool so it'll see service. The buses were school buses and were well organized. My only gripe is that it was hard to hear the race awards and they were pretty slow about giving them out. Overall, though, a solid experience from start to finish.
I really enjoyed this race. I wasn't expecting to feel this good about it. People were excited about the half marathon too. I would highly recommend this race and recommend signing up sooner rather than later for it. If I had to sign up for the week of -- I am not sure I would've run it. It was pushing $60 with the service fees and taxes. In hindsight though, I'd pay for it knowing the experience I'd get.
My performance: was decent. I wasn't expected much -- in fact, I wasn't really sure what I was capable of, especially coming off of a half marathon. I had fears that I'd go out and crash and burn in 2 miles. But fortunately, I was moving along nicely and I wasn't too discouraged by my time. I felt like it was a step in the right direction.
Hopefully, it is a trend that continues.
Upcoming Races
07/04: 2025 Sandy City 4th of July 5K - Sandy, UT (Confirmed)
07/12: 2025 Farmington Days 5K / 10K - Farmington, UT (Maybe)
07/19: 2025 Mantua 5 Mile Race - Mantua, UT (Maybe)
07/26: 2025 Handcart Days Races 5K - Bountiful, UT (Confirmed)
03/26: 2026 Mount Charleston Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)
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