With organization and logistics helped along by Pardee Hospital, parking and packet pickup on race morning were no problem. There was a good crowd assembling for the 8k race and for the Chamber Challenge 5k. (228 finishers were listed in the 8k results.) The low-60s temperatures were going to be great for running, and spirits were high as they gave last minute instructions and organized us out into North Oak Street for the start. As we took off, there were a quick couple of turns and then we had a long, long straightaway down 5th Avenue out of town. With the large number of runners, there was actually a good bit of talking initially, but as we got closer to the 1-mile mark, the elevation change kicked in with the first series of good hills, and the runners got quieter. As the course got more challenging, though, the scenery was very pleasant as we skirted the Rhododendron Lake Nature Park and Laurel Park Lake itself, where there were flowers and trees all over the place. That part of the run turned out to be very nice.
The Conover School is a very special place in Catawba County. The school serves about 150 local students from 3 to 22, all with some degree of cognitive challenge. Some students also have physical challenges to deal with. The school has a wonderful adaptive playground that serves all the students, no matter their abilities, and the main funding to keep adapting and updating the playground comes from their summer fundraiser, the Conover School 5k Run & Roll.
I was happy to bring my running team (Kathy and the boy) along for another stroller-approved county run, and it was a lot of fun for the boy to see so many other children taking part in the race on a humid, moderate Saturday morning. Just about every age group was represented, with some children in strollers, other children and adults in wheelchairs or other assistance, and a happy group of walkers as well. The event also included a "Maddie's Mile" competition for racers with special needs.
In the second mile, we looped around Broyhill Park and the ballfields there, and the volunteers had set up a water stop as well to give us some relief from the temps. Naturally, I got off to too fast of a start with the jogging stroller, so I had some payback in the second and third miles. But the cold water was much appreciated as we swapped off stroller duties and headed back. From the park we retraced our steps back along the train tracks and back to 1st Avenue and back to the school, where music was playing as all the finishers passed under the big inflatable arch. (181 joggers and walkers finished the 5k.)
The main town square in Burnsville is a perfect location for a race. Right in the center of the square is the statue of Otley Burns, the privateer, War of 1812 hero, and North Carolina state senator after whom Burnsville is named. You can look up from the town square in all directions and see mountains (it was still foggy on race morning, so the very tops of the hills were still cloud-shrouded). And pretty much everything you need in a small town, from lodging to offices, from eats to courthouses, is right there on the square or a short ways away. There was a farmers' market setting up just off the square selling all kinds of homemade or home-raised treats. And of course it's Main Street that runs from east to west, so it's pretty much Americana anywhere you look.
The Burnsville Fit Families 5k has been around eight years, so they do a good job of organizing and putting on this race. The locals know about it, so there are lots of families that come out to run, jog or walk together. A group from the local Girls on the Run branch was going to take part, as well as a few competitors that looked like they could be getting ready for the fall high school cross-country season. No matter where the runners, joggers and walkers came from, it was a good turnout well ahead of the race and the crowd was in good spirits, even with just a hint of a threat of a sprinkle. Packet pickup was held just off the square in the First Baptist Church, and some of the volunteers were curious that I'd come all the way from Raleigh to run their race. I really liked the gray shirts with the bold coloring and lettering. 
Race organizers did a great job ushering us over to the starting line on the south side of the town square, welcoming everyone and introducing the local dignitaries, and then we were off and running! Like many races with lots of kids, the kids sprinted right to the front, so that the rest of us could pick them off one at a time as they burned out. The elevation also drops off on most sides of the town square, so as we took off towards the west, we dropped down a hill, through a commercial area -- note to self: come back and try the Pig and Grits diner -- and then downhill again. Of course everyone had a great pace the first mile because it was mostly downhill, but I tried to keep something in reserve since I knew we were going to have to come back up the hill in the second mile.
Near the bottom of the hill we made a right turn and started up some smaller hills as we worked through a residential area in a loop back to Main Street. A few folks had some out to the street or to their front porches to watch the runners come by, and it was great to hear their encouragement. When we turned back onto Main Street, we had to retrace our steps back up the big hill we had just run down, which would have been a lot tougher if we didn't have the overcast skies keeping the sun from heating us up. It was a great race for spectators, as we eventually returned right back to the town square, continued around its perimeter, and then took off again to the north. And kudos go to the folks who were manning the water stations all along the course for keeping us hydrated.
The second mile finished going up another hill, past a couple of churches and the Burnsville Fire Department, which also was out encouraging the runners. The next turns took us over a creek and up another hill past the Parkway Playhouse and around School Circle, where an older school building had been converted into the local library. At that point we had mostly a downhill return trip back past all these landmarks and back to the town square, where the finish line was set up on the northeast corner. At least with the downhill stretches in the last mile, it was easier to keep a near-respectable pace to the finish. Post-race, there was plenty more to drink and great snacks for us all. There were 180 finishers listed in the results, and I hope everyone enjoyed the race at least as much as I did. Lots of kids got rousing ovations when they crossed the finish line, and all the Girls on the Run participants were recognized for their accomplishment. A small stage had been set up for the awards, and there was even good country music being played on the speakers to entertain folks as we cooled down and recounted our morning.
The town square at Burnsville is a great place to watch or take part in a race, and I am looking forward to when we can come back again to explore more of the town, the Mount Mitchell area, and this beautiful part of the state. Come run Yancey County and Burnsville; they do a great job up here!
Because of all the hoopla, the event had an earlier-than-usual start time of 7:00 a.m., so we had to get all three of us up and on the road very early. But it was well worth it to be ahead of most of the Saturday traffic and to have some very nice early May cool temperatures to greet us when we got on the resort! Parking for the race was on the infield of the horse track, and from there it was a very short walk over to the packet pickup set up at the halfway house of the #1 course, between the 4th green and the 5th tee.
The race began right on time with the runners spreading out as we followed the cart path back along the 4th hole and continued along past most of the early holes. I had stroller duty for the first part of the race, and fortunately for me it was the flatter part of the course, and from our spot safe in the back of the pack, we could easily see the lead runners streaming out ahead of us over several holes of the course. The route itself was not entirely paved; the main traffic areas had concrete, but like many of the courses at Pinehurst, there are significant areas where the cart paths are not paved, allowing for easier maintenance and a back-to-nature effect at a very modern resort.
The last few hills in the final mile were very challenging, with or without a stroller. We swapped stroller duties back and forth a few times and even took a walk break or two, but we could see the finish line arch ahead of us and finished with a good pace. Our first mile pace was definitely the fastest, taking advantage of the flatness and even some downhills, with the second two miles the slowest ones. But we were greeted back at the finish line with water and fruit, and even the boy got his first running medal for finishing the 5k, albeit in a stroller!
Nicole Esplin, a talented runner and Elon graduate who I know from the Raleigh running scene, was the overall winner, beating everyone around the loop with the only sub-20:00 time. The overall winners got great little Putterboy statues, and the other age group winners received medals. There was a brief sprinkle after the race, but it did not dampen enthusiasm or chase too many people away. It was a wonderful early morning in Pinehurst, and it was great to mix the loves of family, running, golf, elegant cars, and music! We'll definitely be back "fore" another race in Moore County!
