5 Klicks

Five kilometer races are tests of speed. Run fast, run hard, see how quick you can get across that line. A baseline time for my 5K is 30 minutes, but I range within 5 minutes of that depending on the day. I don’t run a lot of these, and often I don’t bother writing much about them unless they were particularly interesting.

Big Gifts for Little Lives (2022)

May 22, 2022

Sunday Runday, and my morning run (though short) was a fast, local race.

Too often I discount and downplay the value of lacing up for a cause that isn’t just another tick on the tally of my own personal achievements. Yet a five kilometer fundraiser race, as far removed as it is from the epic half marathons and ultra trail races that seem to consume my training calendar these days, is a heartwarming reminder of my sports more enduring legacy in the modern running landscape.

Some backstory may be relevant here.

Resolution Run (2020)

Each year for at least a decade I’ve been negating my ability to sleep in on the first day of the year in exchange for the glory of running a simple five klick race. The annual Resolution Run is a weather gamble, bringing out a thousand ambitious runners in sub-zero temperatures — fewer and fewer with each successive degree below freezing.

This year was no different.

Leave the house at 10am to get myself a reasonable parking space at the local YMCA.

Linger in the lobby trying to corner familiar faces, maybe snap some New Years selfies and group shots.

Resolution Run (2015)

Achievement Unlocked: Five in Twenty-Five

Ok, so I didn’t break the 25 minute mark, but my first run of the year came close.

The annual gathering of resolution runners on the first day of the year was warmer than usual. It was my seventh year running the five klick, kick-of-the-year-in-the-right-way run. The temps were hovering right around zero Celsius, and the roads were only a little slick, but otherwise quite good for a mid-morning run.

Neon Run (2014)

How (Not) to Run in Neon 

On Saturday night, wallowing in a thin powdery layer of iridescent cornstarch and radiating in the pale phosphorescence of a dozen glow sticks, I set a new personal record: my worst five kilometer race time. Ever.