This morning I ran this inaugural event that is about as local as you can get. I live less than 2k from the start line and 2k from finish line, i.e, halfway between the start & finish. Perfect! I ran there and back as warm up/down.

Short version: 49.10, and 1st Female.  Disclaimer: I am not super fast (the competition was light), and my previous best (over a year ago) was 52:30. And if you haven't guessed, the course was short (about 9.8 km or 6.089 mile)!  But I am over the moon at my pace - 8:04.

Long version:

Running is starting to take off here in New Zealand (ironically, where 'jogging' was actually founded) and fun runs and races are popping up everywhere. My own athletics club is putting on an event in three weeks time (5 mile, 5k & 2.5k) and so we were very interested when this event appeared in the same area. It was put on jointly by the local government and a local recreation centre (local gov. funded gym). It was only $10 to enter and free for kids, so I registered for the 10k and my daughter the 2k. There was also a 5k. It included a free (cotton) t-shirt and a medal for each participant. They had about 350 participants across all three races, which I thought was pretty good as it is also Father's Day here in NZ.

Since I am part of the committee putting on our own races at an athletic club, I felt this one was pretty ambitious for an inaugural event. They had three different start points for the three races and only one of those was the finish line. The two point to point courses went on many local roads, some of which were main roads with steady traffic and lots of side & main road crossings. Basically the 5k & 10k went from one park to another park. The good news was a net elevation drop of 75 feet, the bad news one steep hill and some undulating parts. I must admit, though, the traffic was light being Sunday morning and they had marshals at every road crossing. The races started on time but the results are not up yet - of course there was no electronic timing. They were writing down bib numbers at the finish, so I guess they're matching those to the times.

Anyway, at the start line I was happy to see my clubmate there. He's a guy about 10 years younger than me, but who is not all that faster than me. We sometimes do training runs together at the club. He has had some problems with his calf so wanted to run it as a steady state type training run, so decided to pace me to a PR. It was a new experience for me to race with someone and surprisingly we talked a lot over the route. I didn't think I'd be able to keep talking, but it was only laboured over the last few km. Of course I went out too fast, and I knew I was the first woman and the path inside the park was wide and flat so it felt easy and exciting. On the back side of the park we hit a bit of a head wind, but nothing too serious. Otherwise it was a glorious spring day, with temps in the mid 50s.

After 2.5 miles we hit some undulating small rises and dips, but the big hill came at the halfway point. We were surprised to be overtaken half way up by a young guy, but this was the only time we were overtaken after the first half mile. We overtook one person at about the 4 mile point, then it was solo all the way. I thought we might have caught the guy in front, but he actually increased his lead on us in the last 1 - 2 miles. From 4.5 miles it was mostly downhill and it was great - not too steep. When the downhill stopped with a mile to go I felt like I was running out of steam, but my running partner really motivated and supported me to keep the pace up. We had a final loop of the park with the finish line in sight and I was trying to speed up to get under 50 minutes, which I did - yay! I don't have a garmin, so I don't know my splits, but I know I went a bit fast at the beginning, was slower up the hill, but made time on the descents.

My (Casio digital) time was 49.10 and I just beat my running partner by a few seconds (I know he let me win) and I'm so grateful to him for pacing me and keeping me from fading. I'm really proud of my time, even if the course was short, and especially pleased with my 8:04 pace, which tells me via McMillan my projected time for my first half is 51.50. With my longest run only 11.5 miles a month out, and mileage in the last 6 weeks averaging only 24 miles per week, I'm under no delusions about how hard it will be to race it. I am going to go out conservatively at 8.45 pace and see how it goes. My half is on a pretty much dead flat course. My goal will be to break 2 hours.

I can't claim today's effort as a PR, but it bodes well for going under 50 minutes for real in a 10k which is correctly measured. Disappointingly the prize giving was aimed at local high schoolers and I didn't even get a mention as fastest female in the 10k. They gave only a 1st, 2nd, 3rd prize overall (i.e. males, though I was in the top 10, I'm sure) and for high school students. Out of everyone getting a prize today, only one was a teenage girl. I already wrote an email to the race dirctor suggesting they changet that for next year! I did get a medal, though. I didn't get any photos myself, but my friend did and when she sends them to me I'll try to upload them.

My daughter's 2k didn't go so well as she has hurt her heel - maybe plantar fasciitis? Will need to take her to see a PT as she can barely walk now. It was a bit sore beforehand but she wanted to run. Should have said no!  

Thanks for reading if you made it this far, and happy running! 

Nice job, looking forward to the pic(s).  That sucks about no recognition for women.

Great job!  Sorry about the short course but love the pace.

Thanks for the support. I'm a wee bit sore today, which I haven't had in a while after mostly 5ks in the last few months. It's a nice reminder that I went all out and achieved something yesterday.

Congrats on a well-run race and WINNING!!!! Even if you didn't get a trophy for it . Nice job!!!!

Yes, LRB, jogging was indeed popularized in my fair country, as noted in Wikipedia's Jogging entry, History section:

In the United States jogging was called "roadwork" when athletes in training, such as boxers, customarily ran several miles each day as part of their conditioning.^{[citation needed]} In New Zealand during the 1960s or 1970s the word "roadwork" was mostly supplanted by the word "jogging", promoted by coach Arthur Lydiard, who is credited with popularizing jogging. The idea of jogging as an organised activity was mooted in a sports page article in the New Zealand Herald in February 1962, which told of a group of former athletes and fitness enthusiasts who would meet once a week to run for "fitness and sociability". Since they would be jogging, the newspaper suggested that the club "may be called the Auckland Joggers Club"—which is thought to be the first use of the noun "jogger". University of Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman, after jogging with Lydiard in New Zealand in 1962, published the book Jogging in 1966, popularizing jogging in the United States.

And, I updated my PRs to show my new time, asterisked. Next 10k won't be until late January and I can't wait until then. It's ok, LRB said I could! 

Congrats on a great race and on being 1st place woman!  Sorry that they didn't recognize you for your accomplishment, what a bummer!  Maybe since it's a new race, they might change it up for next time?

I have a 5K "PR Pace" that's not a PR for the opposite reason- the course was long.  So I agree that looking at pace makes sense.

Hope that your daughter's heel is feeling better!

I had studied the course beforehand so I did know this in advance. Since it's their first time to put on the event and it is clearly labeled as a fun event, I can overlook it. But it was a bit strange as the 2k & 5k were pretty exact, and they could easily have added on the extra distance at the first turn around point on a short out & back.

It stinks to run a great race and then find out that the course was way short.  But, you still ran the same distance as all other competitors and finishing as first overall female is terrific.