On Sunday, September 18th, I ran the Bucktown 5k. It was my first time running a timed 5k since my high school cross country days! The last one I ran was the Back to School 5k in Milwaukee in 2013- I was first place female but I’m pretty sure the course was short and there were maybe 100 participants. Bottom line, I have been curious for a while about how I would do in a 5k.
Bucktown 5k Course
The course began at Burr Elementary school in Bucktown and wove its way around the neighborhood. Normally, I don’t like many turns in a race, especially a short one, however I enjoyed the constantly changing course. The variation took my mind off the intensity.
Packet Pickup and Race Swag
Race Day
The Race
Honestly, the race was a blur but at the same time I was strangely present for every moment of it. I can still vividly picture almost every detail of the course, spectators and other runners. I’m not sure if that’s due to the fact that because it was so short I feel like I can remember it all, or because I was running at such an elevated intensity.
A few memories that stand out:
- The crowd support was awesome the whole way through. Bucktown certainly knows how to support runners! There were families out with kids offering lemonade, fans with their dogs, or people spectating from their front porch. The runners definitely felt the love, Bucktown! Thanks!
- There was a group of middle schoolers (?) in the elite corral too. They were no joke. They went out faster than I did, and when I caught up to them around the water station, they were going strong as a pack. One girl said, “See that girl up there? I’m going to pick her off starting at mile 2.” I smiled to myself as I went by, loving her competitive spirit.
- The 1st mile marker was off- It said I ran a 5:55 mile, yeah right! My watch lapped about a half block later. My watch was consistent with the other markers, which further supported my hunch. Although, it would have been awesome to run a sub-6 minute pace… maybe one day.
- Even though it was only 3 miles IT FELT LIKE FOREVER.
If I go by my Garmin watch, I was pretty steady at first and then lost steam. Splits were 6:18, 6:17, 6:25, for an overall time of 19:42. I ended 11th female overall and 5th in my age group. I’m very happy with the result!
Post-Race
After the race I did a 2 mile cool down backwards along the course to spectate. My friend Molly was also running the race and we were going to meet up after she was finished. Around mile 2.5 I jumped into the race and helped her finish. I was so glad to see her! After that, I jogged back to the EDGE for an ice bath to finish out my last build up week for the marathon.
Overall Thoughts
I was very impressed with the Bucktown 5k. The spectators were fantastic, the swag was awesome, and everything ran smoothly. Definitely run this race next year if you are looking for a fun 5k. I plan to!
Did anyone else run the Bucktown 5k this year? What was your experience? Leave your thoughts below!
Happy running,
Becca
Congrats on the speedy race despite running your 20 miler the day before. Your splits were pretty much even which is great.
Thanks, Pete! I was happy to break 20 minutes 🙂
Hey Becca, Loved that picture of you and Molly. How great that you were able to meet up with her and (re)run the last bit of the race. Not in town, I’m visiting Martin and his fiancee in Jackson Hole Wyoming. I saw a bear! Saw other wildlife, but that was the best (viewed from the roof of their townhouse). Molly is bored with hearing about this! I’ve seen lots of runners, and can’t imagine running up (and down) the Grand Tetons. Wonder what kind of races they have out here. Wouldn’t want to be caught in a race with… Read more »
I was so happy to be able to run with Molly too! Sounds like you are having a great trip!