2025 Alpine Days 5K Race Recap - Alpine, UT

Start line before the Alpine Days 5K

Official Time: 26:13
Placement: 9th in the 55 - 64 age division, 239 out of 531
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: mid 50's no wind
Course Map / Garmin Route: Here
Previous Years: [2024] [2023]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:46	Congested start and slightly uphill first mile
2	8:29	Better. Rebounded after the climb
3	8:37	About mile 2.5 I was grinding away.  Still not a bad closing mile
3.05	0:20	Flying at the end
	Total Miles: 3.05 - 26:14

Going to have to try this one sometime

Introduction

Yet another race in the "Days" races I have all year long.  The Alpine Days one is a very competitive one and helps celebrates the city summer festival.

The local high school comes out for this one -- and they are some of the nation's best.  In addition, their parents (who are often times alumni) show up.  Suffice to say this race has a lot of talent -- even at the adult level.  To make things even more challenging -- the age groups after pretty wide, so you have to show up at your best level to have a shot of winning something.

The Race

I showed up at the race just after 6:15 AM for the 7: AM start.  I had had someone get my bib the day before so a quick walk and a few pins later I was doing my warm-up.  I actually felt half way decent.  Normally, after a week of running, I come in on tired legs, but today -- I have to admit, I felt good.

I did about a mile and a bunch of drills and I made it to the starting line with 5 minutes to spare.  I sort of felt like I needed another fifteen minutes though.

The weather was unusually cool and the air definitely felt very fall-like.  I lined up about 20% of the way back and the race started promptly at 7 AM.

The race is held at Burgess Park and you start about .12 miles from the park's entrance.  After crossing under the arches, you run down the park's service drive and quickly hang a left.  It was crowded but the runners (all 500+ of us) spread out a bit by the time we hit the streets.

I hadn't really studied my competition -- just too many people.  Although most of the runners are high school age or younger.  I just focused on giving it my all.

The first mile is mostly uphill and is often times runner's slowest mile.  I told myself to be patient -- faster miles lay ahead.

About .33 into the race.

After a series of S-curves, we reached the summit and were running on the parade route.  People had set up their stuff but the parade would not be in session for a bit.  The uphill had ended at this point but we had a few rollers.  Early onto this street, I hit my first mile in 8:46. I felt like I was running faster and I was disappointed with it.  Part of me wanted to give up.

Quite a field at the Alpine Days 5K

I reminded myself, though, that the first mile was the hardest.  While this wasn't going to be a barn burner of a day, I could still turn in a half way decent race if I pushed the final 2 miles.

To keep myself motivated I kept looking for the next left turn.  It would signify that I was half way through the race and I had vague memories that after the turn, it was largely downhill.  

Reverse view of the climb

Finally, I hit the turn and I turned on the jets.  I still had something left and I wound up picking up my pace.  There was a bit of a downhill (and in the distance an uphill). Here was my shot.

There was a bit of crowd support and I used it to motivate me to run a bit harder.  I hit mile 2 in 8:29.  Better!

One more mile to go.

I still had a lot left and I was pushing the pace as hard as I could.  At this point, I was running with a couple of women and father / daughter combos.  I think there  may have been one guy who was maybe in my age group.  None the less, I was giving it my all.

There was a nice downhill to kick off the final mile but it didn't last long.  Also, everyone else could sense the finish line.  

With about half a mile to go, I reached the elementary school. I had run to this point prior to the race so I knew exactly where I was and how much further I needed to go.  However, now I was running on the flat parts and I was struggling.  There was a bit of an incline here but I just didn't have a lot to give.

Finally, I pushed past the school and made a right hand turn.  In the distance, I could hear the finish line sounds and I knew I was almost done.  The finish line always come quicker than it seems on this one and I kept telling myself: just one more quarter mile.

Heading into the finish

The entrance to the park appeared. I had measured from the 3 mile marker to the finish and it was about .1 of a mile. The course, at least according to my Garmin, always comes in a smidge short.  This year would be about the same (3.05).  Mile 3 rang up at 8:37.  Decent, I guess.

I flew by a couple of people and a guy half my age sprinted with me at the finish (and definitely beat me).  

I crossed under the finish line in 26:14.

Smiles at the finish

Conclusion

So I was pretty happy with my time -- all things considered. It is still about a minute slower than last year (this year hasn't gone to plan at all).  But this week's time is about a minute faster than the previous 2 or 3 5K races I've done.

The race is a scenic one and I actually enjoy running with the new generation of runners.  They bring a lot of dedication to the sport -- and joy.

Post race refreshments were bagels, chocolate milk, water, a peach and a cookie.  All things considered, not a bad spread for a budget-friendly 5K (I paid about $25).

There are no finishers medals on this one, but if you are fortunate to earn an age group award; I am told the medals were epic.  The t-shirt is a cotton one and fairly basic.  It has a nice design on the back though.  It'll be relegated to weekend wear.  

This race will appeal to the true 5K runner who enjoys a competitive, no frills race on a challenging course.  You'll be inspired by the new generation of runners and the Alpine area is really pretty. Definitely one to put on your list.

Upcoming Races

08/16: 2025 PC2PG 10K - Lindon, UT (Confirmed)

08/23: 2025 Path to Opioid Prevention Half Marathon - Riverdale, UT (Confirmed)

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)

2024 Alpine Days 5K Race Recap - Alpine, UT

Official Time: 25:14
Placement: 10th in the 45 - 54 age division, 187 out of 472
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: 70 with 10 mph breeze from the south.
Course Map / Garmin Route: Here
Previous Years: [2023]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:13	Going out conservatively. First part is kind of uphill.
2	8:12	A set of rolling hills. At least I am consistent. Took advantage of the downhills
3	8:16	Bringing it home. Felt like I was running faster, but I'll take this for a final mile!
3.06	0:25	Trying to break 25
	Total Miles: 3.06 - 25:13

Introduction

So another weekend, another "Days" race.  This weekend, it was the Alpine Days 5K -- an event to kickoff their city's celebration.

I ran the race last year and I with not a lot on the agenda this weekend, I figured why not get in a good workout?

This race is a fairly large one and is strictly a 5K.  Most of the race's participants are high school students, as the local high school, Lone Peak High School, has an extraordinarily large track / cross country team.  So they definitely come out in force to participate.

The Race

I showed up at 6:15 for the 7 AM start time.  I was one of the first there and got decent parking (there is plentiful parking).  I managed to snag my bib and a t-shirt and take some photos as the timer started assembling the start / finish line.

The race is headquartered at Burgess Park in Alpine and is a beautiful baseball field with walking trails with some stunning views of the Wasatch Mountains.  I wound up getting about a mile warm-up and took in the last part of the course and got some photos.

The race started promptly at 7 AM.  With all the high school students in attendance, most of whom could easily run under 20 minutes, I lined up well behind where I'd normally start.  The first quarter mile was pretty packed, but with a wide area to run in, it wasn't too terrible.

The race makes a left turn after exiting the park's entrance before dumping you onto the street.  It is about a half mile run, with a gentle uphill, until you get to Alpine's North-South drive.  Another 2 hours after the race, this section would turn into the parade route -- people had already setup their spots and some of the parade vehicles were assembling.

I was running smoothly and in control.  I remembered from last year that this course had a lot of rolling hills and I didn't want to overcook myself.  I was overtaking a lot of runners that had started out too quickly and was running well.  Mile 1 rang up as an 8:13.  A little slower than I would've liked for a mile 1, but given the nature of the course, I'd take it.

Eventually we had to make another left hand turn and exited the main street.  It was a nice mental break and signaled a change.  I'd miss the crowd support (there were a few people along the parade route), but I was greeted with some nice stretches of downhill.  I was able to pick up my pace.

My fellow runners had thinned out at this point and while I was working hard, I still had a lot to give.  I was coasting on the downhills, taking on the uphill sections and making ground on the flats.  I'd pick out groups of runners ahead of me and work to catch them and then pick another group.  The strategy was working and spurred me on.

Mile 2 came in at 8:12. I was really hoping to go sub 8 minutes on this one but I was cruising.

The last mile started off with a nice downhill and then a slow grind to the finish.  It was hard to pick up any momentum here.  I was occasionally picking off people but my rate was declining.  I was more concerned about how much distance I had left and since I had run the final .65 of a mile to the finish, I knew exactly how much more I had to go.  

My mind was wanting to go, but the rest of me just couldn't respond.  I just didn't have the gusto to smash the last third of a mile. I was maxed out.

As I headed into the park, I saw the mile 3 marker.  The markers were pretty close to spot on, but my Garmin would chirp a few seconds after I had passed it.  I came in at 8:16, still much better than last week's not so great race. 

The finish line looked so far away yet I recalled all the strides I've done over the past year and I knew I had something to give in that final .1 of a mile.

I glanced at my watch -- I had a shot at sub 25 but it wasn't going to be promising.  Pushing as I hard as I could I made a dash to the finish line and crossed in 25:14.

Conclusion

So this race went way better than last week's disaster.  I was spent after this one -- I had used a lot of whatever I had left in the final push and I remember as I closed in on the finish line I was holding back on getting sick.

I figured I had a shot at an age group award on this one, as I hadn't seen very many people my age.  There were lots of high school students and for some reason a ton of women running with their children (some turning in some great times).

I had forgotten though that this race has some funny age divisions and me trying to compete against those in the 45-year-old age division put me at a disadvantage.  Next year, presuming that I am still in the Utah area, maybe I'd have a shot (they had some nice placement medals).

Overall, I ran the race well -- with even splits.  I was much slower than where I was last year, but given my training and medical issues I've had, I'll take this one as a success story.

Post race refreshments included water, protein bars and caffeinated chocolate milk.  Sort of a motley assortment for a race.  I had brought Gatorade to the race and I wound up using that afterwards.  After the awards, they were basically begging people to take home the left overs, which I greedily took.  The shirt was a cotton one but nicely designed.  I wish it was of polyester fabric, I'd certainly wear it.

For a $25 race, I got my money's worth.  It was a low-frills race, but well organized and well marshalled. It was nice to see so many younger runners in attendance:  it has been one of my regrets not to have run in high school.

I liked the course as well. It had its shares of hills and it all seemed to even out. This race gave me a sense of confidence that my speed is coming back. Hopefully this continues with a positive trend.

Upcoming Races

08/17: 2024 PC2PG 10K - Lindon, UT (Confirmed)

09/07: 2024 Cedar City Half Marathon - Cedar City, UT (Confirmed)

09/28: 2024 Witch Run 10K - West Jordan, UT (Confirmed)

10/05: BLOCKED OUT WEEKEND

10/19: 2024 Haunted Half 5K - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)

10/26: 2024 Haunted Half 5K - Provo, UT (Confirmed)

02/23: 2025 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)

04/26:2025 Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)

2023 Alpine Days 5K Race Recap - Alpine UT

Official Time: 24:25
Placement: 6th in the 45 - 54, 104th overall
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Mid 60's
Course Map / Garmin Route: Here
Previous Years: First Year For Me

Mile	Time	Comments
1	7:58	A bit of a grind uphill. Nothing major but enough to hold back a bit.
2	8:03	A little bit of uphill and some down.  My pace was all over the place
3	7:58	Mostly gentle downhill but was pretty gassed. Doing the best I can here.
3.06	0:24	Throwing everything I have at the final push
	Total Miles: 3.06 - 24:24

Introduction

The last few years the Alpine Days 5K appears on my race calendar and almost always it has conflicted with something else.  Well, 2023 is the year where I finally got my opportunity to race it.  There wasn't much else on the race calendar for the weekend and I knew the timer, so I figured why not.

I was forewarned about the race -- it was mostly attended by very speedy high school runners.  It was also going to be a well attended race with over 400 runners. The course was also described to me as fairly flat and fast.

The Race

I got to the race at 6:15 and found ample parking.  Pro-top: park at the school about .25 mile north of the start.  Easier in / out.  But overall, very simple procedure.  The race started at 7 AM and I basically did a quick warm-up, used the restrooms a time or two, and got a sense of the course layout.

The headquarters of the race was at Burgess Park.  Just a beautiful tree-lined park with a baseball field and walking trail.  As I wandered around, I found myself surrounded by the Lone Peak track / cross country team. They had a massive turn out.  I suddenly felt very old given the age demographics at the race.

I did a very brief warm-up on account that I have been having some hip problems that usually plague me in the afternoon / evening.  I had taken an ibuprofen as a preventative measure and I was worried that it was going to stop me dead in my tracks in the middle of the race.  Fortunately, my hip issue didn't bother me at all.

The race started at 7 AM and off we went through the paved entry of the park.  It was slow going at first due to a logjam of people.  I had moved into the back since I knew most of the high school runners were sub 20 minute 5K runners.  There were plenty of runners, though, that were clearly slower than me, that had gotten ahead of me.  It took a couple of hundred yards before I could settle into a pace.

The first mile I told myself to hold back.  Judging from the direction we were running -- towards the eastern mountains, I figured it would be a bit of a climb there.  It was definitely a slow grind but nothing too outrageous as far as hills went. 

I didn't see anyone in my age group around me and I was surrounded by mostly people a third of my age (or more).  I felt like I was working hard and I had some fears that I was going to suffer the same fate I had at the Lindon 5K race two weeks ago: where it would be a sufferfest in the final mile or two.

Mile one -- not surprisingly  -- came up in 7:58.  Not great, but okay given that I felt that most of the first mile was a gradual uphill.

We were running on a Main Street and it was cordoned off with police support.  Judging from the stuff on the side of the road, it was also the parade route.  It was still too early to get any crowd support though.

We finally turned a corner and I knew - or figured - that the second half of the race should be mostly downhill.  I was working hard and occasionally I would feel like giving up but I kept on going.  I really worked on extending my stride and taking advantage of the downhills.  

I was still running with mostly young teens.  A few of them were duly impressed that I was keeping up with them and I actually quite a few shouts of encouragement from them.  Kind of cool to be the senior member of the group.

Mile 2 saw an 8:03.  I figured this mile would've been a bit faster, but there were a few hills in here.  Still not too far off from my average pace.  I was worried, though, that mile 3 was going to see a death march.

The mile markers on the race were correct and every time my watch beeped, I hit one.  I was told the course would land in at 3.10 miles.  Given that the race appeared to be run by the local track coach, I figured that this race would be legit.

Mile 2 to 3 saw mostly downhill running, which was nice.  I wound up passing a few other runners along here as I tried to salvage the race.  But I was breathing hard and trying to get a sense of how much further I had.  It would be reassuring to make out a landmark or something, but I had had little experience with running in Alpine.  

Finally, with a quarter mile to go, I saw the school that I had run by during my warm-up.  Just a little more I told myself.  Again, I picked up the pace knowing that I had less than a quarter mile to go.  

Once I hit the service drive and could see the finish line, I doubled down.  I was definitely red-lining and could feel every running muscle just "burn".  I imagined myself doing my 30-second post run strides -- just a little bit further!

Conclusion

I crossed the finish line in 24:25.  Not exactly what I was hoping for -- I had visions of going around 24:10 or lower.  I probably lost a few seconds in the slow start, and I went out a little slower, not really knowing the course and if there were any really bad hills.  I'd probably grade my race performance as strictly a "B".  

No finisher's medals on this one and post race refreshments included protein bars and water.  There was one aid station on the course as well.  The course was well marshalled by directional arrows, volunteers and police support.

I was a little dismayed to see that the age groups -- for adults -- had been widened.  I was competing in the 45-54 age group.  I didn't see anyone in my age group around me during the run and I figured I had  a shot at place.  I was crestfallen to see that  I was 6th.  Had it been the traditional 5 year age groups, I would've placed 3rd.  I am seeing more races do that these days, and it is kind of a bummer.

Overall, I really enjoyed the race. It was well organized and the course, which was mostly residential running, was pretty.  I enjoyed mixing it against the youth of Alpine Utah and they were the friendliest bunch to chat with after the race.

I'd probably do this race again if it fit in my schedule.  It was nicely run and they were efficient in getting out results / age group awards.  I do wish they had some oranges or bananas though.  Again, I loved seeing the massive turnout by the under 18 crowd.  It is a good sign that the next generation of runners are arriving on the scene.

Upcoming Races

08/19: 2023 Rock 'N Roll Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)

08/26: 2023 Mt Nebo 10K - Payson, UT (Confirmed)

09/02: 2023 Swiss Days 10K - Midway, UT (Confirmed)

09/23: 2023 Witch Run 10K - West Jordan, UT (Confirmed)

10/21: 2023 Haunted Half 5K - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)

10/28: 2023 Haunted Half 5K - Provo, UT (Confirmed)

02/25: 2024 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)

04/20: 2024 Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)

07/24: 2024 Deseret News Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)