2025 March Madness 10K Race Recap - North Salt Lake, UT

Official Time: 54:15
Placement: 18th overall, 2nd in the 50-59 age division
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Low 30's, very light winds from the south
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2024] [2023] [2022] [2021] [2020] [2018] [2017] [2016]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:17	Nice start, although a little slower than I would've liked
2	8:27	Definitely fatigued. If I can hold this pace, I'll be happy
3	8:44	This is going to get ugly....
4	8:57	Yuck
5	9:09	Even yuckier. I felt like I was running fast, but I wasn't.
6	9:01	Had a pacer help bring me in.
6.20	1:39	Just want to be done.
	Total Miles: 6.20- 54:18

Introduction

Another one of my traditions -- for several years now -- is to do the March Madness race.  At first, I was a frequent runner of the half marathon distance, but as the years have gone by, I've dialed it back to do the 10KM race.

The race supports the local foodbank and is a low-cost, simple race that harkens back to the days of going to race, running your guts out, grabbing some food and calling it a day.  The race is well organized, accurately marked and fits into just about everyone's budget -- especially if you register early.

Getting ready to race!

The Race

The race started an hour earlier this year and I made the trek up to Legacy Park in North Salt Lake and arrived at 7:15 AM.  I found easy parking, grabbed a bib, and donated some food for some extra raffle tickets. 

The weather was ideal for racing.  Chilly enough to warrant thin gloves and light arm-warmers, but definitely not anything more than that.  There wasn't much wind at all either.  

Typical stretch of bike trail

I was fatigued, however, having done the Las Vegas Half Marathon, a mere 5.5 days or so before.  While I felt like I was over the worst of the soreness, I definitely didn't feel particularly springy or fast.  Coming into the race I wanted to run fast, mostly for redemption over my failed efforts at the Vegas race, but I was also realistic that unless the running gods were truly backing me, it was going to be a long shot.

I did a warm-up of about a mile and some drills. I felt okay and my warm-up at times left me feeling a bit drained and other times I felt like I was just experiencing pre-race jitters / self-doubt.

The 10K race started at 8 AM and we were off.  The 10K race had less than 75 runners and most were shy about crowding the start. I held back as I knew I really didn't belong there, but I was off with the first 10 or so runners.  I was working with another runner who I know is definitely faster than me.  We chatted ever so briefly and I decided I was going to blow up if I hung on with her for too long.

About .4 of a mile to go

I glanced at my watch periodically and I was running at about 8:15 -- what I felt was my 10KM pace.  It did feel like I was going too fast.  I decided to go with it.

During the first 2 miles I was working with another runner that normally I can go rail-to-rail with.  I told myself, if I was holding pace with him, than I felt confident that I could hang on.

Mile 2, despite my best efforts came in at 8:30. I was definitely slowing down and I was questioning my life's choices.  My head was telling me I was running fast, but reality wasn't matching up.  Also, it was humbling to have the 5K winner (15:30 or so) blow by me well before the turn-around despite my roughly 5 minute head start.

My pacer had left me behind and I was hoping I'd eventually catch him (I never did).

As we headed north on the Legacy bike trail I kept looking for my competition.  With 10-year age groups, I knew my margins might be a little short.  

I couldn't wait until the turn around.  Maybe I'd be able to negative split, or at least hold on to my dwindling pace.  

I hit the 5K mark at about 26:26 or so.  All things considered, not too bad.  I was huffing and puffing though and every mile so my pace dip by about 15 seconds.

I got some shouts of encouragement from the other runners which spurred me on a bit but to be honest, I was toast.

There was another runner who may have been in my age group a few minutes behind me and I didn't see anyone that looked to be in my age group that had beat me to the turn around. Perhaps I could capture an age group win despite a less than stellar race.

I couldn't wait for the race to be over. I wasn't getting anywhere fast.  I was trailing another runner but more often than not, another runner would pass me.  I did encounter some 5K runners who were walking the course, but those were pretty few.  I just couldn't get anything going and I was throwing hasty looks over my shoulder: was anyone coming after me?

Finally, I was running at half marathon pace.  It was a major effort and there were times I just wanted to walk.  I was debating even on walking for a bit and doing some quarter mile repeats, just like I do in my sessions.  

Around mile 5, a friend of mine joined me.  He had just finished the 5K and was doing his cool down.  Silently he just worked with me and got me in, providing just enough incentive not to give up.  He knew I was suffering.

Finally the finish arches could be seen and it seemed to take forever to get there.  But I knew eventually I would get there.

Appropriate shirt for a March race

Conclusion

This wasn't the race I wanted.  Last year, under terrible weather conditions, I ran 53:33.  I shrugged it off because there were 30+ mph gusts of wind.  I figured this race, I'd be a lock to beat that and then some.

I finished in 54:18 -- about my slowest 10K (under normal circumstances) in a very long time.  

If I had to chalk it up to something it would be general fatigue. Just about every run I did this week I felt every single step.  I am not sure, however, I would've done anything differently.  Yeah, it was a difficult experience, but I was there to race.

In hindsight, I should've dropped to the 5K.

Finisher Medal + Age group Award -- no shirt at this race.

I wound up socializing and taking photos of runners. By the time I had finished, the weather had significantly improved and it was actually a very pleasant morning.  Gone was the cold, and now it felt like a fresh, spring day.  

There really wasn't an awards ceremony.  You got your result and if you placed in the top 3, you got a bonus medal.  Score! I came in 2nd.  Another runner in my age group finished several minutes ahead of me, so it wasn't even close.

Yeah I was not a happy camper

I wound up winning a winter hat in the raffle -- the bonus one with this, though, is that it had an LED light on it, so it would be great for early morning or late winter runs.  Just about every year I win something and they have some cool prizes.

Post race refreshments included chocolate milk, water, fruit, candies, chips and a few other snacks.  I wound up only taking a bag of chips and a few banana slices.  

Overall, I was happy with my race experience.  This race came in at under $30 (I think) and you got a professionally timed, supported race and that was accurate in nearly every aspect.  I think every time I saw a mile marker, but my watch went off and the turn around came in at 3.10 miles.  You really can't ask for anything more.

The course is flat but a little on the dull side. It is a bike trail run after all.  But it is ideal for those seeking a fast time.  I had a total ascent of 7 feet, according to my Garmin.  I do think it was a bit more than that but not much more.

Put this one on your calendar if you need a time trial and a race that gives more than it takes: free photos, nice awards, affordable price, plenty of food at the end -- just professionally done from start to finish.  Plus it supports the local food bank.  Normally they do have a half marathon in the race, but due to permitting issues, only a 5K and 10K were offered this year. Hopefully next year, the half marathon will be brought back.

Upcoming Races

03/15  2025 Lucky 13 10K - West Jordan, UT (Confirmed)

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

05/10: 2025 Run Farmington 10K - Farmington, UT (Confirmed)

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

2024 March Madness 10KM Race Recap - North Salt Lake, UT

Official Time: 53:33
Placement: 10th overall, 1st in the 50-59 age division
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Low 50's, 30mph winds from the south
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2023] [2022] [2021] [2020] [2018] [2017] [2016]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	7:55	Strong start. Feeling really good
2	7:42	Enjoying the wind at my back.
3	7:46	Last of the fast miles
4	9:18	Reality setting in.  So difficult
5	9:55	Wind would make my pace turn into a slog.
6	9:22	Just trying to close out the race
6.17	1:34	Just shuffle in and cross the finish line
	Total Miles: 6.17 - 53:38

Introduction

One of my spring traditions is to run the March Madness races held in the Bountiful area each March (about 15 minutes north of Salt Lake).  The race offers a variety of distances: 5K, 10K and a half marathon.  

The race is run along the Legacy Bike trails and supports the local food bank.  Over the years the race has changed locations a few times, but for the last few it has settled in at the Foxboro North Regional Park.

Usually around Thanksgiving timeframe they offer an incredible deal on their race.  If you sign up it is basically $20 to $25 for their races.  Granted, there aren't a lot of frills (i.e. no t-shirt) but it is a fully supported race, professional timed, offers finisher awards and there is food at the end.

The one gotcha with the race is that the weather conditions are always a wildcard -- hence the monitor "March Madness".  Most of the time, wind is a factor and like past years, it came into play this year.

The Race

I made the trip to the park and arrived around 8:15 AM for the 9:00 AM start.  I was able to quickly get my bib.  I had plenty of time to kill and I wound up kicking back in the car for a bit.  I was trying to get an idea of how much of a factor that the raging wind was going to play in today's race.  

I was also feeling a bit fatigued and still had some soreness from Sunday's Half Marathon in Las Vegas.  I knew this wasn't going to be an "A-race" given the weather conditions and my condition.  The plan was to start running and if I felt good, push it, if not, just bank a solid effort.  

I wound up doing a very short 15-minute warm-up pre-race.  Mostly drills.  I knew I needed to save my energy for the return trip of this out-and-back 10KM race.  

There was a roaring wind blowing from the south and with the race starting us heading north, I knew I was going to get off to a decent time and then crash and burn on the way back.  On the plus side, the weather was warm-ish despite the wind: sitting at about 50F.  Lots of people were bundled up and I felt out of place as I waited for the race to start dressed in my Chicken Legs short-shorts, a short-sleeved t-shirt and thin gloves.  I was in race mode with my Saucony Endorphin Pro 2 shoes.

There were about 50 of us in this race and with little fanfare, we started off over the archless start line (too much wind for inflatable arches).  

It felt effortless to run north with the constant push at my back thanks to the wind.  The lead back quickly took off (mostly younger folks). I found myself running with the 2nd place woman and another guy.  For the first mile we were constantly trading spots and eventually I managed to drop the other guy and I was running side-by-side with the woman.

The race is held on the Legacy bike trail.  On your left is the Legacy freeway (which is basically a bypass for the I-15) and on your right suburbia-like houses.  It isn't the most glamorous of courses, but it is flat and well maintained.

The first two and half miles went by in a blink of an eye.  I banked 7:55 and 7:44 splits and while I felt the pace was intense, it wasn't killing me, again thanks to the tailwind.  

I've run the course many times and the same course is also used for several other races throughout the year.  So it was all very familiar territory.  

The course was marked well and the mile markers were marked just about matching my Garmin's output (I was ahead of it by about .02 of a mile).  I started to encounter some of the faster 10KM runners at about mile 2.5. It was nice to give them some encouragement.

I smashed through the 3rd mile in 7:46 and I knew that was about the last of the "fun" miles.  It was definitely going to be work heading back.

I was still running with the 2nd place woman but she had pulled ahead of me and I was trailing her by about 15 yards.

Sure enough, at the turn around my pace dropped off a cliff as I was blasted by dirt / dust and sand infused wind.  I tried to tell myself it wasn't bad -- but it was bad.

Oddly enough, the 2nd place woman wound up making a turn and exited the course.  I could've sworn she was lined up with us at the start of the race but I think she was just out for a training run.  I suddenly found myself running solo -- no one in front of me and tiny specs of people behind me.  I hadn't seen anyone close to resembling my age group on those who were making the return to the start line and the nearest person behind me was probably a quarter mile away.

I still wanted to solidify my position, so I soldiered on despite the roaring winds.  

I knew my pace was going to be terrible and I was too surprised to see 9:XX come up.  There were moments when the wind ceased and I could generate a bit of energy to push the pace, but occasionally I'd pass by an open field with absolutely nothing to break the wind and my pace would drop to a shuffle.  I didn't get too worked up about it.  Fortunately no one was near me, this race was a run hard type of effort and mentally I was ready for this.  Just keep pushing forward and eventually I'd finish.

Despite my clothing choices (or lack thereof), I was comfortable and was never cold or too hot.  I eventually encountered some of the 5K runners who offered words of encouragement.  I knew I wasn't running great but it felt like I was since I was "an older guy" in the top placement.  Granted the race was small as well.  But it was the mental image of myself that really helped.

I tried not to look at my watch at all during the final 5K.  I didn't want to get frustrated with my pace.  The mile markers were still off by about .02 but they seemed to come up quickly and I knew the race was going to be done.

The winds got their worst with about a quarter mile to go.  With the finish line at the south end of a field, I was blasted by the winds.  I had been watching behind me -- I didn't want to get overtaken -- and someone was gaining on me but I had just enough time to push it the final bit and cross the finish line.

Conclusion

I finished in 53:33.  Definitely my slowest 10KM time in a very long time.  I honestly expected to be around 55 given the wind conditions and the general soreness / fatigue I had leading into the race.  So on one hand I was happy with the results, but at the same time, disappointed.  This race wasn't conducive to a fast time though -- with the wind conditions.  I think a bunch of us commiserated that it would be awesome to have the race start where it did -- you run 6.2 miles north and then have a bus take you back.  I think I would've easily broken 50 minutes.

I wound up winning my age group, so I netted two medals for a morning's work.  I wasn't surprised about it given the small race size and not seeing anyone close to my age running the race.

Post race refreshments included oranges, bananas, cookies, pizza and chocolate milk.  

They do collect food for the panty and I donated some.  I also won an outdoor folding chair type of thing.  Should come in handy for outdoor activities.

This race is quite simply "a race".  It is bargain priced, the course is well marshalled and marked and it offers a great opportunity to try for a personal record, without having to contend with a large field or overcrowding.  It is well done and simple.

I hope to do this race next year. But this race will go down in my books as one of the windiest races I've ever done (and grittiest with all the dust).

Upcoming Races

03/16: 2024 Vineyard City Gold Rush 5K - Vineyard, UT (Confirmed)

03/30: 2024 Eggs Legs 10K - West Jordan, UT (Confirmed)

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

04/27: 2024 Apple Blossom 10K - Santaquin, UT (Confirmed)

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

06/01: 2024 Utah Valley Half Marathon - 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 Run Farmington 5K Race Recap - Farmington, UT

The start / finish line

Official Time: 24:41
Placement: 1st in the 50 - 54, 11th overall
Results:  Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: 45 - 10 mph breeze from the south
Course Map / Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: First year for me

Mile	Time	Comments
1	7:47	A bit of headwind.  Did quite reach top gear right away.
2	7:39	Pushing hard here.  Fairly flat. Surprised this mile went as well as it did
3	7:56	Was hurting. Desperate at times to know what the distance on the course was.
3.19	1:19	Once I saw the finish line, I redlined it.
	Total Miles: 3.19- 24.43

Runner orientatino

Introduction

On a whim, I decided to jump into the Run Farmington 5K.  I believe this race happened last year as well but I never wound up doing it (injured).

The race sports two distances: a 5K and a half marathon.  I was very tempted to sign up for the half marathon.  Farmington is a really nice city to urn in and it likely would've been very scenic.

However, I was still feeling fairly fatigued from the Salt Lake half and last week's Blossom Run 10K.  Initially, I planned to sit this week out but I couldn't hold back from at least doing a 5K.

The Park's entrance

The Race 

The race is held at Farmington City Park.  You are near the Legacy bike trail and the Rio Grande Bike Trails, so plenty of space to have a race.

I got there fairly early and watched the kid's 1 mile race, and then the half marathon start. The 5K was supposed to start at 8 AM, but it was probably closer to 8:10 by the time we got rolling.

I had done about a mile of warm-ups and did plenty of drills to get primed for the race.  There were adequate bathrooms as well.

Rio Grande Trail

The weather was nice although there was a bit of a breeze coming from the south.  I hadn't quite figured out how the race started before it began, so I was a bit cautious on how to approach it.  I got the impression though that it was fairly flat.

The race was small and I had lined up close to the front. I was wearing shorts, my trusty and easily identifiable pink t-shirt, and the Saucony Pro 2s. 

Still a bit of farm country in Farmington

The first mile is always the easiest and hardest of the race.  The pace feels easy and my breathing is in control but nailing that perfect pace and what you have for the day is hit and miss.

The race started off in the park, wandered around the parking lot before dumping you off on a street.  Eventually you make your way to Main Street before taking a sidewalk down to the Legacy Bike Trail.  There was a bit of a grinder of a hill to start.  I glanced down at my watch to monitor my pace: I didn't want to go out too hard and at the same time didn't want to relax too much.

Such a beautiful day.

I have run various races on parts of this course, so it was all very familiar to me.  I slowly picked up my pace as I worked with another runner who I knew ran about the same 5K as I do.

Mile came up in a rather pedestrian 7:47 split.  I was still comfortable and my breathing was okay.  However, I know that the weight of the 5K race starts to hit me about half way through.  

I picked up the pace and overtook the runner I was chasing.  I also gained on another young man.  I hadn't seen anyone else in my age group and the lead pack had clearly disappeared at this point.  There were still some targets ahead to work with.

The course was well marshaled and marked by volunteers.  I hadn't really studied the map on their site (it was kind of confusing) and I had heard that this was a looped course.  I kept hoping that eventually we'd make the turn to the west to indicate we were in the homestretch.

A little more than half way, we made the turn west.  This was probably the least favorite part of the course.  Leaving the bike trail, we were running on the side of a street.  It wasn't heavily trafficked and it was only about half a mile.

I hit mile 2 in 7:39.  Perhaps this was going to be a good race.

The turn to head north hit me by surprise.  I am glad they had a volunteer there and I probably remember seeing another runner make the turn.  We were now on the Rio Grand bike trail. I remember running a few races on this portion of the bike trail as well.

Despite the tailwind now, I was running on fumes.  My stride turnover was reduced but my length of my stride was increased.  I kept looking at my watch trying to gauge how much longer it was to the finish line and how much longer I had to run.

I wound up passing another pair of runners and was ceremoniously passed by a young man under 10 years old.  Crazy.

Finally, I saw a line of trees which shrouded the final push to the finish line.  My watch binged 3 miles and I know for certain that the course was going to be long.  In fact, I didn't hit the 3.10 mark until the 13 mile mark for the half marathon.  In short, the course was 3.20 miles.  I did make a mental note that I was around 23:55 - 24:05 for an official 5K.

Conclusion

So, I was 11th overall and 1st in my age group.  But this was a fairly lightly attended race.  My splits were fairly consistent throughout the race and I loved the fact that I still had a lot left to run what was effectively a 7:19 pace for the final .2 miles.

Overall though, my time was fairly "okay".  Definitely not my best 5K and a bit of a let down.  

I enjoyed the race.  The medal was a homemade wooden thing. Definitely unique and it had an inspirational message on it.  Definitely a nice touch.  There were no age group awards sadly.  I honestly didn't expect any, particularly for the 5K since it was such a small event.

Post race refreshments were hydration (never had any) bananas and bread with honey and butter.   I wound up doing a cooldown of about a mile in order to get photos of the course.  It was a beautiful day and part of me really regretted not running the half.

Upcoming Races

05/29: 2023 Run For Remembrance 10K - American Fork, UT (Confirmed)

06/03: 2023 Utah Valley 10K - Provo, UT (Confirmed)

06/24: 2023 Taylorsville Dayzz 5K - Taylorsville, UT (Confirmed)

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

2023 March Madness 10K Race Recap - North Salt Lake, UT

Official Time: 49:59
Placement: 10th overall, 2nd in the 41-99 age division
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Mid 30's, 14 mph wind from the south
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2022] [2021] [2020] [2018] [2017] [2016]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:02	Off to a decent start. Holding back, feeling comfortable
2	8:07	Fatigue setting in. Wind seemed to be holding me back.
3	8:04	Trying to save it for the second half
4	8:07	I realize now the first half had a tailwind, now into the headwind
5	8:12	I knew I was slowing down. Seemed to be a bit of uphill here
6	8:20	Struggling at this point
6.15	1:07	All out in the final push.
	Total Miles: 6.15 - 50:01

Introduction

For the past few years I've done the March Madness races.  They are a low-budget race benefiting the Bountiful Food Bank.  They offer a 5K, 10K, and half marathon distance.  If you register early enough, you can generally get in for under $25 for any of the distances.

The race is pretty low key and is held on the Legacy Bike Trail -- Davis County's answer to the Jordan River Bike Trail.  It is a fairly flat, multiuse paved bike trail that borders the Legacy Freeway.  It isn't the most exciting course, but it is an honest course.

The Race

I got the race start with plenty of time to spare for the 9 AM start.  It gave me an opportunity to snap some photos.  It also enabled me to do a solid warm-up -- going about a mile and some drills.

Knowing that I have a full schedule for March, I opted to do the 10K.  With last week's half marathon still fresh in my memory, I was going into the race in a fatigued state.  I was almost tempted to switch to the 5K. But the longer I warmed up, the better I felt.

There was a bit of wind -- turning what should've been a mild morning into one that was chilly.  I had dressed pretty heavily for my warm-up but ditched most of my clothing once the race started.  I wound up going with 2 shirts, short-shorts, a beanie and thin gloves.  I was completely comfortable for the entire race.

As stated above, I was coming in fairly tired.  I had a big question mark in my mind wondering how long I could hold 10K pace.  And I knew the wind was going to be a factor.

The half marathoners started at 9 AM and the 10K runners started 5 minutes later.  I felt comfortable as I slipped into a strong but not all out pace.  I didn't even check my watch very much in the first mile and was pleased to see an 8:02 flash after the first mile.  Exactly where I wanted to be.

Stretch of the Legacy Bike Trail looking north

There were only about 80 runners in the 10K and I wound up chasing 2 guys in front of me for most of the race.  At the turn around I was able to pass one of them but the other one eventually put some distance on me.  There really wasn't anyone chasing me down either.  

I got a sense the wind was blowing in my face on the way out.  Boy, was I wrong.  I was sort of holding back in the first 3 miles on account that I was just trying to get the miles in and work through the wind and I'd get the boost on the way back.  At this point, the wind wasn't terrible but I could hear it rushing by my ears.

Flying through the 5K half way point, I knew I was hurting.  Too early!  I was still holding onto a decent pace but not being 100% fresh was starting to catch up with me.  I tried to stay relaxed, surging at times as I picked off some of the slower half marathoners.  Mile 2 saw another low 8 minute mile.  Right on target!

As mile 2 wore on, I saw some of the leaders of the 10K returning.  I knew I was getting close to the turn around.  Mentally, it is always a relief to hit that point.  I was still running low 8's but I knew I was going to run into problems, especially if the wind was going to be worse on the way back.  The turn around cones were just shy of 3.10 miles (on my Garmin).  

As soon as I started to run south, the wind doubled down.  I had been in fact running with a tailwind, despite the feeling that it was hitting me.  Rats!

Mile 3 to 4 still saw me turn in a decent split.  I was hitting low 8 minute miles, could I turn in a sub 50 minute 10K?  There was hope but with the wind, I had my doubts.

At this point I had passed one of the guys I was chasing and the other guy clearly had been holding back.  He became more and more of a small dot in the distance.

4 to 5 saw my pace drop a bit.  I felt like I was running on fumes and at times my steady pace would come to a halt, and I'd have to regroup a bit.  I was still doing okay, with another 8:12 but I had been hoping to negative split this race.

I was dragging at the end.  I knew sub 50 minutes was within my reach but the wind had clearly doubled down.  And when the finish line came into view over the crest of a hill and I thought I'd have a fast finish, the wind hit me like a hurricane. Where did this come from?

As I got closer and closer to the finish line, I realized that sub 50 was within my reach.  When my watch buzzed 6 miles, I gave it everything I had.  And I crossed in 49:59!

Conclusion

So I was thrilled to get under 50 minutes.  It has been a goal of mine since 2022.  I probably would've gotten there had I not gotten sick and had a back injury.  

The course, for me, came in a little short.  6.15.  I saw another runner on Strava complete it in 6.16 and another in 6.22.  Every year that I've done this one, it has been accurate.  This year's course was different from the previous years (it seems to be held at a different park along the Legacy Park trail every year).

The race is budget friendly.  So there are no t-shirts, just a finisher's medal, and if you are lucky, an age group award.  They do have a great post race spread of food.  They had pizza, bananas, cookies, granola bars, water, and a few other snacks.  

They do have a drawing / raffle.  For each can of food you bring for the food pantry, you get an entry.  I won the best prize: a handmade St Patrick's Day wreath.  It was made by the race director's wife and it now rests proudly on my front door.  Absolutely a great prize.  

Overall, it was a tough race.  It's probably why I don't feel overjoyed about my time.  It wasn't a smooth race at all and the wind really punished me.  Also given my fatigued state, I should be happy.  Again, I wasn't fully committed to "racing" this race.  I was just giving as much effort as I could but I was okay with holding back a little.

I love this race and would like to continue doing it.  Although I suspect next year, the Las Vegas Marathon is going to conflict with it.  

Upcoming Races

03/18: 2023 Vineyard City Gold Rush 5K - Vineyard, UT (Confirmed)

03/25: 2023 Riverton Half Marathon - Riverton, UT (Confirmed)

04/08: 2023 Eggs Legs 10K - West Jordan, UT (Confirmed)

04/22: 2023 Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)

04/29: 2023 Blossom Run 10K - Santaquin, UT (Confirmed)

06/03: 2023 Utah Valley 10K - Provo, UT (Confirmed)

06/24: 2023 Taylorsville Dayzz 5K - Taylorsville, UT (Confirmed)

07/29: 2023 Timp 10K - American Fork, 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)

03/03: 2024 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)