Specifics for today's event:
Start: 7:30 am, Saturday, March 23, 2013
Location: South Mountain city park, 10409 South Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85042
Price: $38.61 on active.com (includes taxes and active.com fees)
Number of participants: 131 in 20k, 152 in 5k
Environmentals: Clear and sunny, 50 degrees F at start, wind WNW at 5-10 mph
Course: USATF certified
Event coordinator: Arizona Road Racers (ARR)
Directions to event were accurate and easy. A Yahoo! maps link with the specific parking location was provided on ARR's website and in a final race instruction email sent out the night before the race.
Parking was more than adequate. Vehicle access to South Mountain park was restricted to race participants only. All other vehicles were turned around at the guard gate and directed to park along the access roads.
Restrooms and porta-potties were plentiful. No lines for either.
Registration was quick and easy. 100% cotton t-shirts were included with advance registration.
Race timing was accomplished with a bib chip only.
I arrived about 50 minutes prior to the start and had plenty of time to pickup my bib and shirt, drink some Gatorade, and take care of my pre-race gastrointestinal issues. Pre-race dinner was delicious homemade mac and cheese, which could have contributed my excessive porta-potty utilization.
There was plenty of room for the lineup and start (pictured). The 20k started at precisely the published start time (7:30 am), as do all ARR events.
The field immediately thinned and there was no need for position jockeying or running off course.
Although I had run this course before, I had apparently forgotten about the hills. The out-and-back course winds through the foothills of South Mountain. There is a climb from the start to about the 2.5 mile mark. There is an obvious crest at this point with a gentle grade down to nearly the turnaround point. Just short of the turnaround there is a significant climb for about 400 meters.
On the return leg, the climb right out of the start was now a welcome downhill for the last 2 miles to the finish. Due to the elevation, the finish line area was visible from almost 2 miles out.
I ran in shorts and a technical t-shirt and was glad I did. There were a few runners in long sleeves, but I'm guessing they were overdressed. A tailwind on the return leg made the increasing temperature and bright sun seem even warmer.
Water and Gatorade were provided at miles 1, 3.5, 6, 8.5, and 11. At the finish there was more than enough water, Gatorade, bananas, peanut butter sandwiches, chips, Oreos, and animal crackers.
I finished third in my age group with a time of 1:30:44. ARR's website states that awards were given out for the top three finishers in each age group but I couldn't wait around. I was hoping to finish under 1:27, but I'll blame that on my recent illness and inadequate preparation for the course hills.
Exiting the parking area was easy even though the race was still in progress when I left. Half of the road was opened for vehicles to exit while runners were still finishing on the other half.
Overall, another excellent local race presented by the good people at ARR.
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