Notes
A lot of people here today. Good weather. I am in the 2nd row behind a bunch of HS and JH school kids manning the front row hoping to break 21 min along with the guy who eventually wins the race. I tuck right in behind him as he has a Fleet Feet running singlet on and says he hopes to go sub 17; don't figure he will stick around long after the gun goes off.
I am in about 25th place at the quarter mile mark. Fast bunch of starters. I dial back to 5:50 and sit on this pace while testing some patience. As I come up to the .60 mile mark I pull up beside another master's-looking runner. He grins and says "Are you getting ready to pass some of these guys?" I nod and say, "Yeah, most of them. Just biding my time a little longer." The one mile garmin split = 5:52. Finally warmed up and start pushing the pace a little more as I continue to chip away at the folks in front of me. Sitting in 7th place at the two mile mark and am slowly pulling up on a couple of youngsters ahead of me. 2 mile split of 5:51.
Get a surprise at the 2.25 mile mark as a young guy who is pretty big for a distance runner passes me. I am still under 6 min pace but barely holding onto the pace and he cruises by me and goes for the two guys ahead of me. He ends up in the 4th position OA and absolutely crushed the back half of the course.
Coming up toward mile three the same two guys who I had just about pulled up to at the 2.5 mile mark have now gapped me by about 5 seconds. I am pissed but cant get my turnover going. Try one more time during the final two-tenths and come within a second of catching them but can't do it. Mile three split = 6:01 and final .11 mile in :28 seconds as all three of us are attempting to sprint in. Final time of 18:12 and end of 7th OA.
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Certified course: It counts.
Age-graded = 15:54
Age-performance% = 81.68%. Another national class time for the CBEGM crew.
Winner's time: 17:02 at 34 y/o: 16:46 / 77.5%..............just saying.