By Moe Johnson
Daily Record Columnist
June 28, 2008 02:42 pm
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Runners have until Monday to enter the Firecracker 5K for the pre-race entry fee of $15. After Monday the cost moves up to $20. Even for $20 the race is still one of the more inexpensive runs around.
This is always a popular run out at the River Ridge course. The course is certified and flat for a runner trying to get a fast time. The difference in the Firecracker 5K is it’s held Thursday evening starting at 7:30 p.m., with day-of-race registration starting at 6:30 p.m.
There are 10-year age groups from under 14 years to over-70 years so it makes it good for all runners to have a chance to win an award.
The one thing I noticed when race organizers advertise a race out at River Ridge is almost every direction to the location includes “look for the bell tower.” It just made me wonder how many people know what a bell tower look like versus a tall structure in a complex? Local people know about the bell tower since there are a number of races held there but if you were coming from out of town would a runner really know what to look for. Whether runners look for the bell tower or the River Ridge complex it is a good run and since it is in the evening hopefully it will be cooler at that time.
Some results from local runners include a couple of San Marcos runners entering the Lockhart Kiwanis 5K last week. Ros Hill finished first in the 40 - 49 age category and second place overall with a time of 17:50. Paul Paese came in at 20:35 and took third in the over-50 age category. Paul has been running a few 5K races lately and seems to be able to stay in that 20 minute range all the time.
Paul has been a runner in San Marcos for near on to 30 years and has put in some long streaks of running that have lasted two years or more and has run a lot of marathons and 50K races during that time.
This will be the last week Paul will be logging the miles around San Marcos as he has accepted a teaching position as Dean of Education at a University in Connecticut. It’s a nice place to visit, but keeping a streak alive during the winter months when the snow drifts get deep and the temperature drops below freezing makes you wonder if those streaks will continue like they did here in Texas.
Marathon season in Texas is over those winter months and Connecticut has their season a few months earlier. I am sure Paul will find a way to get the runs in one way or another. Good Luck in your new job Paul, and let the runners back here in San Marcos know how you are doing.
David Alexander and Laura Mason traveled down to San Antonio for the Carraba's Half Marathon last week. The weather in June lately is not the best for a long run but Dave and Laura opted to give it a try. The course was a 4 loop course designed for a relay that most people entered. David mentioned that he had not run a half marathon distance for a number of years and was wondering why he chose to enter this one. He finished in 2:48 and Laura came across in 2:55.
Not bad considering the weather and running against relay teams kicking it around the loop for a short three miles of so. It was a challenge, but both are glad they stuck it out and finished the race without any other team members but themselves.
On July 12, the Beta Sigma Phi-nest 5K race out at Hernandez Middle School will be held. An early morning run with an inexpensive $15 entry until July 5 and then only $20 after that. This is a new course and should be a nice change for local runners who have run the River Ridge course so many times.
It will have a few more hills than the flat River Ridge course but that will just make it more interesting.
San Marcos runners can take advantage of entering these runs right here in town and save on the gas money that it takes to drive to somewhere else in the area.
Dr. Maurice Johnson is a professor at Texas State University in the Department of Health and Exercise Science. His column appears every Sunday in the Daily Record
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