Race #572 -- Runway 5k -- Gastonia, NC -- 09/14/24

With a couple of 5k races in the local race series over these two weeks and no nearby half marathons, I decided to take a little break from the longer races. I ran this same race last year and it's nice and flat(ish), so I was hoping to run a better time than in the hilly food truck races that I've done over the past few months. The result was that I did better (27:22), but nothing to jump up and down about. As much as I'd like to nudge back down into the 24- to 25-minute range in a 5k, that might not be happening for me.

Just like last year, my main age group competitor was a local high school cross-country coach who is a couple years older than me. Also, just like last year, we jockeyed for position several times during the race, and I managed to squeak by him with about 20 seconds to spare. 

Last year's race had some great free photographs that I didn't see until I registered for this year's race. Eight days after the race, there are still no photos on the website. Several photographers seemed to be taking pictures, so if they eventually post some photos, I'll try to come back and provide a link.

Race Name: Runway 5k

Location: Gastonia Airport (Gastonia, NC)

Date: September 14, 2024

Course:


Splits/Elevation:

According to my Garmin data, even though the runway course seems relatively flat, there is some gradual elevation change throughout, resulting in 139 feet of uphill and 147 feet of downhill.

Run/Walk:
I walked less than usual in this race, trying to run for about 2 minutes and then walking for 20 seconds in intervals throughout the race. This resulted in just 2 minutes of walking for the entire race, which is good for me.


Heart Rate:

When my times were relatively fast, I paid a lot more attention to my heart rate, trying to keep it at a steady 160 beats per minute throughout the race. These days, I don't really keep up with it during the race, but it's naturally lower as I'm getting older.


Weather at Start:



Click Here for Race Results


My Stats:

  • Time:  27:22
  • Pace:  8:56
  • Age Group: 1 of 3  
  • Overall:  34 of 135
  • Age Grade Percentage:  66.08%

Group pic with some friends from the Gaston County Runners.



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