2025 Farmington Festival Days 5K Race Recap - Farmington, UT

Getting ready to start the Farmington Festival 5K

Official Time: 26:38
Placement: 7th in the 50 - 59 age division, 125th overall
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Mid 60's,  breeze from the east
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2023] [2022] [2021] [2019] [2018] [2012]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:43	Uphill and congested start.  Once I get settled in, I was fine though.
2	8:26	Good downhill. Feeling strong and in control
3	9:09	Somewhere I simply ran out of gas. I felt like I was running faster
3.06	0:22	Wow, fast last stretch
	Total Miles: 3.06 - 26:41

Introduction

One of my summer traditions is doing the Farmington Festival Days.  Farmington is simply an awesome venue for races.  It is a scenic town with lots of trees, bike trails and just downright stunning scenery.  I do several races there each year and I always come away with just a sense of joy and pure beauty.

This race offers a 5K and 10K -- both of which are challenging.  Farmington isn't known for being flat so this course isn't for the faint at heart.

The race is coordinated with the city's summer celebration day.  It draws a solid crowd and one of the best parts of this race is that your bib gets you free entry into the community's breakfast -- which is unarguably the best in the state (they even state the same thing).

Farmington City Hall

The Race

The race starts at 7 AM, and I arrived at 6:15 and picked up my bib at the community hall.  I was told ahead of time that this was going to be a busy race -- with over 500 attendees (most of whom would be running the 5K).

I was able to get my bib in no time at all.  I used the bathrooms and wound up getting in about a mile warm-up.  I actually felt pretty good despite a fairly heavy week of training.  

It was warm, however, and I was dressed in a light shirt, shorts and my Saucony Pro 3s.  

The race started promptly at 7 AM.  

I had lined myself up about 80 people behind and that was sort of mistake.  There were simply too many runners who were running significantly slower at the start and it took a while to get going.  But, actually, I was okay with it, as the first third of a mile is mostly uphill.  I went up it at a decent clip but nowhere near race pace.  I knew, however, that once I reached the top, it would level out or be slightly downhill.  "Be patient", I told myself.

Sure enough, once I reached the top, I gathered some speed and began passing people.  I was running along the very familiar Main Street.  Traffic had been cordoned off and I was running neck and neck with other 5K and 10K runners.

I had tried to pick out runners who were in my age group, but there were simply so many that had passed me at the start and I knew at least one was well ahead of me.  With 10-year age increments, I knew the chances of me placing were slim.  But I was still going to try hard.

Mile came up in 8:45.  It could've been worse.  With the clustered start and the uphill, I was actually satisfied with it.

Finally, the 10K and 5K split off just around mile 1.  We hung a right and the 10K would continue straight.  With the taking of our turn, I was greeted by a glorious site: a giant downhill.  I knew it was coming and I loped down it, feeling speedy.

The race had thinned out and I was trying to find runners to pick off and work with.   There were plenty of younger children but my competition was always changing.  I was still searching for age group competitors but the field was actually pretty young; perhaps I had a chance.

Start of the initial hill 30 seconds into the race

Once I reached the bottom of the hill, runners jump onto a bike trail.  In the past, this is where my time fell off a cliff.  Today, however, I was holding steady.  I wasn't running fast, in my opinion, but I wasn't trying to run through quicksand.

Mile 2 came in a satisfactory 8:25. I was okay with that.

Finally, the home stretch.  Mile 3 takes you along the parade route.  There are a smattering of people cheering you on and on your right you can hear / smell the finish line. But clearly there is well over a half mile to go.  Normally people run on the street, but this year the 5K runners were all on the sidewalk.  Monkey see, monkey do.

I was wiped out at this point but still pushing hard.  After the 8:25, I felt like if I could just hit that split again, I could salvage the race.

About mile 2.5 into the race

I was a little crestfallen when the lead 10K runner blew by me (I figure he was at mile 4 when I was at mile 2.5).  He continued to straight making the 6 minute per mile effort look easy compared to my death gasping.

I turned the corner up a tree lined street towards the heart of the downtown area.  I had just run this stretch back in May at the Run Farmington race.  I was hurting here just as much as I did back then.

10KM Runners closing in at mile 5.5 or so

I was so close to the finish line,  yet so far away.  I turned another corner and climbed a small hill towards City Hall and the government buildings.  There were more crowds here spurring me on.  I think if I had looked at my watch at this point, I would've been really disappointed. I felt like I was running at least 8:45 pace in the difficult spots.  However, I clearly wasn't.

Almost done!

I lost a little motivation towards the end because there was no one chasing me.  I was trying to catch a runner or two in front of me though, including a woman who was probably slightly younger than me.  Anything to motivate myself... I needed a goal!

Runners closing in at the 5K

Finally, I reached the summit of City Hall row (as I like to call it) and made another turn down a residential street.  I was close and I could see the final turn a little bit away.  Time for my kick.

I gave it all I had in the final stretch powering past a competitor or two and I pushed it through the finish line.

Post race food line!

Conclusion

I finished in 26:38.  About on par for my current fitness.  I wasn't thrilled with my time and when I had reached mile 3, I was disappointed to see a 9:09 ring up on my watch.  I definitely didn't feel like I was running at what was recently my half marathon race pace.

Part of me was upset with my time but I also recognize the course isn't really a fast one.

I scanned my bib and saw that I was in 7th place.  I figured maybe I had a shot at 4th at the worst, but clearly there were some fast runners.  The one runner who I knew was in my age group that was well ahead of me didn't medal either.  Tough day at the office!

There is no finisher's medal for this race.  At a budget price of $26, your entry includes a race, a t-shirt, and a post race breakfast. The post race breakfast was what they have every year: French toast, fruit, hash browns, sausage and bacon.  They had a juice drink and chocolate milk.  So delicious and it was good too!

Best post race breakfast in the state.

There was a good community vibe to the race and despite my relatively poor showing, I still came home feeling good about it.  This race is highly recommended and offers a good, scenic course that is a joy to run.

Upcoming Races

07/24: 2025 Deseret News 10K - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)

07/26: 2025 Handcart Days Races 5K - Bountiful, UT (Confirmed)

08/02: 2025 Runtastic Heber 5K - Heber, UT (Confirmed)

08/09: 2025 Alpine Days 5K - Alpine, UT (Confirmed)

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

08/23: 2025 Path to Opioid Prevention Half Marathon - Riverdale, 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 Run Farmington 10K Race Recap -- Farmington, UT

Final stretch of bike trail

Official Time: 57:45

Placement: 1st in the 55 - 59, 44th out of 157
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: low 60's, breeze from the east
Garmin Route: Here
Previous Years: [2024] [2023]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:43	Getting rolling.  Easing into the race. A little bit of a climb on the freeway overpass
2	9:08	Had segments that were pretty good but slowly gaining elevation
3	11:00	Yuck, massive up hill here. I actually had to walk the last one.
4	8:33	What goes up, must come down. Enjoyed this segment very much
5	9:26	Pretty spent at this point. Not much in the legs
6	9:48	When will this race end?  Grinding it out on the bike trail.
6.12	1:06	Not much left for a sprint to the finish.
	Total Miles: 6.12- 57:47

Arriving at the race

Introduction

Sometime this winter, a few runner friends insisted we do this race.  It was on my radar but was I was inclining to take a wait and see approach to it.  Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn't.

But of course, the coupon / discount codes code flying in and the pressure became insurmountable.  One friend wanted to do the 10K and another wanted the half marathon.  I would've leaned doing the 5K, but I felt like putting myself through the torture chamber and get the most for my entry fee and do the 10KM race as well.  The 10KM is notoriously hilly.

So I set a date for May 10th and plunked my money down.  I knew this was a fun race and generally speaking, Farmington is a special place to run.

The Race

A group of us arrived at Farmington Regional Park just after 7 AM for the 7:50 AM start time.  For a large race (about 600 runners) they had it well organized -- with lines designated for each race division.  I was worried about problems waiting, but fortunately, the pick-up was smooth and less than a minute.

I wound up cycling through the restrooms and watched the 1 mile kid's race take off followed by the half marathon.  Our race was supposed to start around 7:55 AM and it was closer to 8 AM due to the kid's race taking a bit longer.

They started the half marathon and a few minutes later the 10KM runners started.  For the first 5 miles (or so) we would be sharing the same course.

The start takes you through the parking lot of the park and then onto the street / sidewalk.  You make your way to the bike trail.  Traffic was well marshalled -- in fact -- throughout the entire race I never felt "not safe" or had no worries about where to go. 

I have run several races in this area, so the course was not unfamiliar to me.  I was coming into the race fairly tired and I was going out at what I thought was a conservative pace. I was working but not aggressively hard.  I was slowly roping in many of the half marathon runners.

I had no idea of who my competition was and to be honest, I didn't care.  This was just about getting this race done and putting in a solid effort.  Mentally and physically, I came into the race pretty much drained.

That's me in the red ahead

It was also warm -- I am not yet used to running the warmer sun and it was already 63 degrees at the start and climbing.  I was wearing sunglasses, a t-shirt, and short shorts.  

Mile 1 came in predictably -- 8:45.  I was okay with that.

Finally, after crossing I-15 on an overpass, I found myself on the east side of Farmington.  Familiar sites hit me -- the Farmington Days Race (in late June) occur on many of the sections, so it was a nice reminder I wasn't exactly in new territory.

For about half a mile, my pace was solid.  Eventually, however, we found ourselves on a twisty-turny bike trail that seemed to be climbing.  I knew that at mile 2.5 we'd have a long hill but my pace dropped.  I think I was already at the edge of my limits and just given how much I've raced, my legs and breathing weren't really having it.

Perhaps my GPS was off due to the low hanging trees but I hit mile 2 at a low 9 minute per mile pace.  I wasn't overly flustered, but it felt like I was working too hard to hold that.

Sure enough, the hills began from mile 2 to 3. And they were brutal.  Most of them reduced my pace to a shuffle and the last one I figured I'd expend just about the same amount of time running as I would walking, so I simply power walked up one.  My legs felt rubbery and I still had 3 miles to go.

There were a few points where I wanted to stop and take photos, but this was a race.  I sort of regret at least trying to get a few hasty ones in.

I had paced the 2:20 pacer and was battling with the 2:10 pacer, who probably started 2 - 3 minutes before me.  

I crossed the 3 mile marked with an 11:00 mile pace.  Worse than I thought, but expected.

After the hill, I got a sweet reprieve.  Beautiful, glorious downhill.  I repassed the 2:10 pacer and was holding steady.  I actually felt like I was racing again.  The hill wasn't a massive downhill, but it was enough to hold steady for more than half of it.

We were done with the shaded bike trail and now onto public roads.  There were some occasional spectators cheering us on.  The area was somewhat familiar with me and I could recognize we were heading to Farmington Center where the Farming Days race starts and finishes.  When I hit mile 4 in 8:33, I had hopes that I could salvage this race.  It was also in the middle of this mile that we hit the first aid station.  In my opinion, it was positioned a little too far, especially for the half marathoners and for a warmer day.  I managed to gulp down a Gatorade -- I was definitely feeling the heat.

Runner coming into the finish

Unfortunately, I was running on fumes.  I was just trying to run strong.  I wasn't looking at my watch, but I was working hard.  I had hopes I was running about 9:00 min / mile pace, but it turns out I was quite a bit slower.  I just wanted to be done.  I still hadn't seen anyone in my age group and I still couldn't decide who was running the half and 10K.  We hadn't split yet.

We crossed over I-15 once again and on the other side the half marathons split from us.  The number of people I was working with dropped precipitously.  Also, so did my pace.

Another photo towards the finish

The last mile and a quarter were along the bike trail that we had started on and it seemed to take forever to get to the finish line.  I kept looking at my watch -- I was within half a mile but still had so much further to go.  I turned to one guy -- and muttered "so close, yet so far away"

I just didn't have any energy and my pace was dropping to a half marathon shuffle.  I had no spring and I was probably dehydrated.  With the warm temperatures and only one aid station, it just wasn't working.

The number of people in my field of vision was fairly limited and I couldn't motivate to chase down anyone in front of me and I had a solid lead on those behind me.  I did encounter a few 5K walkers, so that gave me a bit of a boost to move by them, but still, my pace was "I've given up -- I am here to finish"

Group Photo

While the overall distance on the course appeared to be short (at least according to my Garmin) the finish line just seemed to never arrive.  It took forever but I knew I'd reach there.

Finally, I rounded the corner and did my best to pull a "fast finish".  And I crossed under the finish line in 57:45.

Conclusion

So before the race started I had predicted I'd finish around 56 minutes.  Going into the race, I was just sore and spent -- physically and mentally.  I've done a lot of racing leading into this one and given the nature of the course, I knew it wasn't going to be a fast one.  I had hopes, maybe it would, but I didn't see too much to be optimistic about.

The race was a challenge from start to finish.

Finisher's Medal and age group award

The price of the race was decent and I felt like I received a good deal on my registration fee.  The t-shirt was optional (and I didn't purchase it) so that saved me some money.  It was a cotton or cotton-polyester blend, but it did have a cool design.  If the material was 100% polyester, I'd definitely be interested.

The course is a stunner -- despite its challenging nature.  It is a pretty run and I loved miles 2 - 4.  It was fun to speed through the tree lined bike trail and even the city streets weren't terribly bad.  The course just keeps you guessing.

Thumbs up finish

Organizationally, it was a good race.  Easy pickup -- super fast age group awards -- and they had pancakes and sausages at the end. I think there were some protein bars as well as water and Gatorade.  The park also has drinking fountains.  The pancakes weren't very good though -- they were kind of cold by the time I got one.  

The course was well marked and marshalled.  In my opinion, they needed another aid station.  On a warm day, one wasn't enough, especially for the half marathoners.

Performance-wise, no surprises for me.  I predicted my time and more or less I got it.  I feel like I haven't 100% bounced back from the Salt Lake City Half Marathon, which I did two weeks ago. In addition, I ran quite a bit doing some "running tourism" while in Illinois.  So I was pretty fatigued going in.  I am sad I didn't turn in a better time, but at the end of the day, I won't lose any sleep over this one.

This is a well organized race and if you are doing the 10KM race or half marathon, I suggest giving it a go.  The course is a challenge, but a lot of fun. It has a lot of competition -- given how many other races are going on in the area, but for the price and effort required, it is well worth consideration.  Also the age group award is definitely unique (as well as the cool finisher's medal).

Upcoming Races

06/07: 2025 Vineyard Days 5K - Vineyard, UT (Confirmed)

06/14: 2025 Lamoille Canyon Half Marathon - Lamoille, NV (Confirmed)

06/28: 2025 Taylorsville Dayzz 5K - Taylorsville, 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 Run Farmington 5K Race Recap - Farmington, UT

Official Time: 26:18

Placement: 1st in the 50 - 54, 18th out of 155
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: 48F, winds from the east.
Garmin Route: Here
Previous Years: [2023]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:06	Off to an okay start. A bit of a headwind here.  At least this race is flat!
2	8:15	Off the bike trail and onto a service road for a bit. At least no more wind
3	8:23	A bit of a tailwind, but not a lot in the tank.  Working with a young man.
3.20	1:33	Clocked about 25:20 on the 5K.  Tough finish.
	Total Miles: 3.20- 26:19

Introduction

Well, I got roped into another race.  I wasn't going to race this weekend, but all the cool kids wanted to race, so how could I say no?

I had done the 5K last year and I wanted a race to see where my fitness was at on a flat course.  The course came in long last year (about 3.20 miles) and this year they used the same course (more or less).  So I knew, overall, my time wasn't going to be accurate, but I could run hard for 5K and see what I had.

The weather this weekend would be good and I had company for the race, so I decided to make the most of it.

The Race

The race was held at Farmington City Park.  It was a nice place for a race headquarters, with park bathrooms (plus porta potties), a pavilion, and easy access to the bike trails.  There also was ample parking for the 3 race events: the 5K, 10K and half marathon (and 1 mile kids race).

I got there about 45 minutes early.  We wanted access to the raffle, which started at 7:15 AM.  Packet pickup was a snap but I was at risk of not getting a shirt because I had signed up only a few days before the race registration ended (fortunately, I did get a shirt).  The 5K was supposed to start at 8:00 AM, but due to logistics, it didn't start until 8:07.

I started off cautiously to begin with.  It was crowded and we had to run through a flagged off section of parking lot before getting out onto 650W.  As usual, it was congested with runners of varying abilities but fortunately it wasn't difficult to get into position and hold my own.

I didn't have a clue as to what I was running -- going 100% by feel.  Of course, I had my Garmin, but I didn't want to get overly anxious over my splits.  I am still sort of feeling my way into this new round of fitness.

We made our way northward before hitting West State Street.  We had to make a sharp right and access the Legacy Bike Trail.  I've run this section of the race before in many formats over the years.  A lot of memories came up.

It was also at this point that I got a peek at the masses of half marathon runners who had done some sort of loop and were working their way back.  Fortunately, the bike trail wasn't that congested and it was nice to see familiar faces.

In another quarter of a mile, I began heading south on the Legacy Bike Trail.  The other runners had thinned out and I was chasing down fellow 5K runners.  I recalled running the section last year as well.

I was mostly alone at this point, although I had some people in my sights and I knew I was being pursued.

Despite the headwind (my Garmin says it was blowing from the east but I definitely remember being hit by a bit of wind from the south), I smashed a 8:06 mile.  Not too shabby.  Now if I could only hold that.

The bike trail continued to go south, and on my left was the speeding cars of the Legacy Freeway.  On my right, was a residential section. It was flat, with an occasional rolling section.  I was working hard and it was getting harder every quarter mile.  I was certainly glad I wasn't running the 10K, which I had been tempted to sign up for.

Finally the Legacy Bike trail reached a dead end and I made a quick turn to the right.  This was the least sexy part of the course: a business road to my left and rough scrub, warehouse type of stuff on the right.  Fortunately, I knew it was going to be fairly short-lived and I'd be back to the final stretch of bike trail.

Mile 2 came up at 8:15.  Slower than my first mile, but not as bad as I thought I was running. I was expecting more like 8:30.  

I was working with a young man who was probably in his early teens.  He'd start running, hard, do a hundred meters or so, stop and walk and repeat.  This went on for a while and I think I was his "competition". 

I wound up passing another runner or two but at this point, we were pretty spread out.  I was trying to see if I could catch anyone and I held a brief glimmer of hope I'd be able to catch someone and really close out the race strong.

I was trying to figure out how much further I had to run on the Rio Grande trail.  At this point I was agonizing over the distance and how much longer I had to go.  I knew I could handle it, but I didn't have that drive that I can usually muster in the closing miles.

It was warm and there hadn't been any aid stations (let alone bathrooms).  Sweat was dripping into my eyes and occasionally I'd have to wipe them with my shirt.  I kept trying to get a sense of when we'd hit the final right turn and run the final quarter mile to the finish.

I couldn't help but appreciate the course and the beautiful day.  For a bedroom community of the metro Salt Lake area, Farmington certainly has a lot of beauty. I could totally get used to running on this bike trail.

Finally, I saw the course marshal at the place where the park met the trail.  He pointed me in the direction and I sputtered a quick thanks.  I could see the finish line in the distance and hear the music.

My watch still read just shy of 3 miles.  The finish line was still oh so far away.  I hit mile 3 at 8:23.

I didn't have much left for the final kick.  I lapped my watch the instant it hit 3.10 miles (25:23) and at that point, I just sort of lost interest.  No one was behind me and I had passed the stopper / starter young man a while ago.

One more turn and I sped towards the finish line, hitting 26:19 for 3.20 miles.

Conclusion

So this year, the race did have a lot of changes / improvements.  Attendance was definitely up, the snacks were better and they had some 3rd party sponsors there with demo products (props to the Sunflower Milk people).  

They also had one of the most important criteria for me in a race: age group awards. I sauntered over to my car and checked the results.  I had placed first in my age group, 18th overall.

The medals are definitely unique.  I think everyone was raving about them.  They are one-of-a-kind and make this a cool experience.  The shirt -- was nicely designed -- I love it that it shows the race and race distance.  It is cotton though, so likely relegated to bumming around the house or easy days.

Post race refreshments were water, sponsors' samples, donuts, build-your-own sandwiches, and oranges.  

I loved the course.  There were marshals at most of the course turns and the spots were it wasn't marked, it was pretty obvious where to turn.  There were, however, no aid stations (or bathrooms) on the 5K course.  Usually I don't need to use any of that stuff for a 5K, but some might be bothered by that.

After the race, I re-ran the final mile and got most of the course photos that you see on this post.  It was  nice to cheer on some of the finishers as well.

I paid about $40 for the race. It is a lot cheaper if you sign up well in advance.  But this was a last minute decision, so $40 for the week-of registration isn't unheard of.

Overall, I was happy with my experience at the race.  My performance -- I wasn't super happy with.  I am still struggling with that upper range of 5K.  I am hoping to write an article on this in an upcoming post.  All things considered, though, I did place and my paces were okay, although 6 weeks ago, the paces I ran were more akin to my 10K pace.

Hopefully I begin to build some endurance and get back to sub 25 shape -- and soon.

Upcoming Races

05/27: 2024 Run of Remembrance 10K - American Fork, UT (Confirmed)

06/01: 2024 Utah Valley 10K - Provo, UT (Confirmed)

06/29: 2024 Taylorsville Dayzz 5K - Taylorsville, UT (Confirmed)

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

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)

2023 Farmington Festival Days 10K Race Recap - Farmington, UT

Official Time: 51:02
Placement: 2nd in the 50 - 59 age division, 28th overall
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Low 60's,  slight breeze
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2022] [2021] [2019] [2018] [2012]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:16	Almost immediate hill to start the race. Being patient
2	7:44	Nice downhill stretch here.  Gaining back some lost time
3	8:23	Slight uphill here. Still trying to stay strong
4	8:23	Consistent but hurting
5	9:03	Tough mile here. Lots of turns and fighting a gradual uphill
6	8:14	Scored a gentle downhill towards the finish line.  Managed to kick it up a notch
6.13	0:55	Throwing everything I've got at the final stretch
	Total Miles: 6.13 - 51:02

Packet Pickup

Introduction

One of my favorite summer traditions is running the Farmington Festival Days races.  I first discovered the race when I first moved here in 2012 and it sort of fell off my radar.  I think it conflicted with some other races for a while.

A few years ago I decided to jump into it again.  I think initially it was a 5K and half marathon and at some point it became simply a 5K and 10K race.  They also boast "the best post-race breakfast in Utah", which is an instant "yes sir" for me.

The initial hill that starts the race.

The Race

Farmington is a small-ish, well to do town in the middle of Davis county.  The few times I visited, I initially was interested in moving there.  However, it was a bit of a commute for my job at the time.  

There is a good mix of old houses, farm land, and new houses along this mostly residential run.  It is also known for being hilly with a good mix of uphill and downhill.

The final quarter mile of the race

The race started at 7 AM and I was there to get my bib at 6:15.  It was easy and quick.  I took some photos and greeted the timer of the race, who is a personal friend, before getting my gear together and getting about a mile of a warm-up.  

I took the time to get reacquainted with the initial hill -- which is about .3 of a mile long and hits you just as you start the race.  I was conjuring a strategy on how to tackle it without killing my race within the first half mile.

The race started promptly at 7 and we started off.  We ran about 50 yards before hanging a left and proceeding up the dreaded hill. I told myself to be patient as others sped ahead of me.  I had time to make up the lost time of a slow start.

There were about 400 runners, most of whom were running the 5K.  The start was initially congested, but soon we got into a groove.  The initial hill melted away fairly quickly and we made a right hand turn onto a main street.

I could see the top of the hill and I increased my pace just ever so slightly.  Finally I reached the top and I wasn't gassed at all - and I quickly got into 10K pace.

The first mile rang up at 8:15 -- exactly where I had hoped to be.  A strong start but not out of control.  

From previous experience I knew mile 2 was going to be a fast one.  There is a strong temptation to think that the worst is over and just to smash it, but I held back a bit.  I was trying to get a sense of who my competition was as well.  I was still running with the 5K runners and occasionally someone who I figured to be my age (or older) sped by.

I was getting a sense that I wasn't going to place in my age group.  The race has 10 year age increments and I got a sense at best I would be 3rd.

Finally the 5K runners peeled off and we continued heading south.  The crowd had definitely thinned out and I hit the mile 2 point with a blazing 7:45.  

My heart rate felt good and I wasn't breathing heavy, but in looking at previous runs of this race, mile 2 to 3 was the start of the end.

This section of the race is mostly flat but is a gradual uphill.  It always feels like running through quicksand.  I had competition and found myself running with a few other guys.  I kept telling myself to be patient but strong.

Mile 3 came up reading 8:23.  A decent mile, but I would've loved to have been at the 8:15 mark.  I hoped to pick up the pace, but the problem was, I was really struggling.

We were running the 5K runners at this point, who would once again make a turn and leave us just as we were entering the final few miles. Most of them were walkers but it was nice to get encouragement from them.

The roughest mile of the race begins around mile 4.  It is also the most fun though.  You leave the main road and jump onto a bike trail of sorts behind the Lagoon Amusement Park.  It is a steady grind of turns and slightly uphill.  It was hard to get into a rhythm and I was running solo.  I had broken free of the guys I was running with and was simply eating the dust of a woman who was making ground on me.

I was a little more than discouraged when I saw a 9 minute mile come up.

Finally I got back to the main road and after a short climb up a hill I was greeted with the final mile, which is a gentle decline.  I got a bit of a second wind here as I sped down parade route.  The street was lined with mature trees and it was shaded.  I didn't see anyone behind me and there wasn't anyone to chase down, but I was hoping that I had a shot at an age group award.

Finally, I hit the strip of road behind the city hall building.  I could hear the faint din of music and crowds.  I knew the course traditionally measures a little short so with just shy of 6 miles to go, I pushed it to the finish.

Conclusion

I crossed the finish line in 51:02.  Not exactly the time I was hoping for (I was hoping for about 50:30 - 50:45).  I was totally spent though - and I knew it would require that level of effort given the warmer than usual temperatures and the hilly nature of the course.

There are no finisher's medals at this race -- your finisher medal, so to speak, is the post race breakfast.  After socializing a bit, visiting my car for a change of clothes and getting a bit rehydrated I made my way over to the breakfast tent.

They were already passing out the 5K awards and by the time I had gotten my food and sat down, there were starting to work on the 10K.

I was able to scan my bib with my phone and I was delighted to see that I had indeed won my age group.  Wow!  Granted, there were only 2 of us in that age group.

Post race breakfast

I was rewarded with a really cool medal.  It is the standard metal one but has an innovative chunk of wood glued to it with the name of the race. 

So, this race remains one of the best bargains as far as racing goes.  You get a timed, marshalled course with a breakfast and an opportunity for an award for about $25.  Post race refreshments were bottled water, oranges, bananas and sports drink.  There were two water stops on the course that were well crewed and helpful.  The course was well marked and supported by Farmington's police force.

I am sort of "blah" over my race time.  It is a course personal best for me, but I didn't quite hit the mark I was hoping for.  I was also a little miffed to see that I wouldn't have placed in the top 3 for both the 40 - 49 and 60 - 69.  Comparison is the thief of joy, however and I should remember I did pace this reasonably well and I did have a good time.  Despite the summer heat, it was a beautiful morning and I managed to pace the race nearly exactly what I had hoped I could do.  I just need to get better at mile 4 to 5 though.

I plan on coming here next year.  The breakfast makes it worth while and I really enjoy my visits to Farmington.  Definitely one of the prettiest places to run in northern Utah.

Upcoming Races

07/22: 2023 Steele Days 10K - American Fork, UT (Confirmed)

07/24: 2023 Desert News Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)

08/05: 2023 Roy Days 5K - Roy, UT (Confirmed)

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