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Race Report - Penney Farms 5k
Apr. 23rd, 2022 05:29 pmIt's been a while since I posted a race report! Disney races have gotten to be a bit "eh," and most of what I would post would be bitching, so I don't bother. But we finally got to run a small, local race, and I'm here to tell you about it.
Penney Farms is a small .... town? I mean, it has its own garbage pickup, ZIP code, shit like that, though it's also part of Green Cove Springs. It's a retirement community. It's actually very nice - a small neighborhood of houses and duplexes laid out on the site of a farm once run by James C. Penney. Yes, that JC Penney. The route along highway 21 is shaded with massive live oaks, and the community off the highway has more live oaks, towering pines and shaded spaces. It's meant to be walked or golf-carted mostly. And this morning some of the old folks were out early to cheer for us idiots. I mean, runners.
The 5k loop took us all around the town, past the art center, church, model train club (which I should have stayed to see, what was I thinking, not going to the model train club???) and numerous parks and green spaces. With a field of 218 runners, it wasn't a big race, either, so no need to jockey for position, no getting cut off by slower runners, everyone knows racing etiquette, just a generally fun experience. After the finish line there were even some homemade goodies, like cookies and muffins. God bless these people and whoever made those chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.
On the technical side it was a pancake-flat course with a mere 13 feet of elevation gain. One small stretch was decaying concrete with potholes, but nothing too gnarly. The rest was asphalt. Fast and flat. Oh, and speaking of fast ...
Finishing at 26:35 this is the fastest 5k I have run so far. I knew I could bust out a good time, given the opportunity, I just haven't been in a race lately that hasn't been a super-dense pack of people. I wasn't expecting to win my age group, but I did expect a PR. The plaque is a nice bonus!
Overall, good race. Would run again, and recommend to others. Might do it again next year.
Penney Farms is a small .... town? I mean, it has its own garbage pickup, ZIP code, shit like that, though it's also part of Green Cove Springs. It's a retirement community. It's actually very nice - a small neighborhood of houses and duplexes laid out on the site of a farm once run by James C. Penney. Yes, that JC Penney. The route along highway 21 is shaded with massive live oaks, and the community off the highway has more live oaks, towering pines and shaded spaces. It's meant to be walked or golf-carted mostly. And this morning some of the old folks were out early to cheer for us idiots. I mean, runners.
The 5k loop took us all around the town, past the art center, church, model train club (which I should have stayed to see, what was I thinking, not going to the model train club???) and numerous parks and green spaces. With a field of 218 runners, it wasn't a big race, either, so no need to jockey for position, no getting cut off by slower runners, everyone knows racing etiquette, just a generally fun experience. After the finish line there were even some homemade goodies, like cookies and muffins. God bless these people and whoever made those chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.
On the technical side it was a pancake-flat course with a mere 13 feet of elevation gain. One small stretch was decaying concrete with potholes, but nothing too gnarly. The rest was asphalt. Fast and flat. Oh, and speaking of fast ...
Finishing at 26:35 this is the fastest 5k I have run so far. I knew I could bust out a good time, given the opportunity, I just haven't been in a race lately that hasn't been a super-dense pack of people. I wasn't expecting to win my age group, but I did expect a PR. The plaque is a nice bonus!
Overall, good race. Would run again, and recommend to others. Might do it again next year.
