Kevin Patterson ran the Firecracker 5k, finishing this distance in the time of 20:37.
Family ran this one too so it was fun having them there. It was HOT though.
Becky Purdy ran the Firecracker 4 (4 mile) and finished this race in the time of 33:34.
It went well! My goal for the day was sub-34, and I did it. 33:34 officially. The first 3/4 mile was gradual uphill then a lot of downhill in the middle miles, but a short, tough uphill just before the 2-mile mark and of course the uphill last 1/2 mile through town. I felt like I stayed committed throughout, kept the effort even, and gave it a good push at the end. I was 4th woman overall, 1st in the female 60-69 age group, and 24th out of 89 finishers. The weather was warm and humid but not as hot as the previous two days.
Travis Dowell ran the July 4th 5K Sunset Park and finished with a time of 31:35.
I beat my June 5K race time on this very same track, 31:35 today versus 32:53 in June.
This was a 5K race at Sunset Park completed with an average pace of 10:22:15 on a course with elevation gain averaging 35 feet per mile. The route was all hard packed cinder type track along with some muddy sections due to the park overwatering the nearby grass too much. It was hot and getting hotter, so I could not maintain the first mile pace that I wanted to. Like the June race, I hit 5K on my watch quite a bit before the finish line, meaning the race director saying each loop was one mile was not correct. It took me 3.28 miles to reach the finish line, but I did record my time as the watch reached 3.1 miles. I wish I could have run a timed race, but there are not many choices in Las Vegas during the summer months. At least I was on a track with other runners and trying as hard as I could on this “fun run”.
Joe Allen ran the Great Guernsey Firecracker Trial Race 5k with a finishing time of 28:03.
As late as yesterday afternoon, I was wondering if I could run because my right knee has been sore. My physical therapist said it wasn’t serious but I couldn’t go more than 1/2 mile before it started to ache. Unexpectedly, the knee sleeve I ordered arrived early so I decided it was a sign from heaven to give it a shot. Long story short, I not only ran pain free but won my age group, finishing 57 out of 214 runners.
Bob Kirkby ran the Calgary Stampede 5k and completed this distance in the time of 32:21.
I haven’t done this race in 3 years. It’s enjoyable but hard – a very hilly course with vertical elevations +/- 30meters. Slower than my last race in May but I expected that. I still finished first and got gold in my age category (80+).
