I remember when I was in about third grade (my pre-runner days) I used to see our local news cover The Virginia Ten Miler. I told my mom that those people were crazy. I hated doing the mile test in school, much less ten miles back to back. Oh, third grade self, if only you could see yourself now. You've become one of the crazies.
September 2013 was the 40th anniversary of The Virginia Ten Miler, and I couldn't have picked a better year to run it. There was so much hype about it leading up to race day, that I knew that even if I hated the race, the atmosphere would be good.
Oh, yeah. Before I get too far let me just show you the elevation profile:
Going into the race, I was petrified. I had never run a race that long, but I knew that if I could do a hilly 10 miler then my relatively flat half marathon in November would be a piece of cake. I just had to get through it.
Packet pickup was super fun, mainly because the Brooks Run Happy Island was there giving away prizes. I won a free t-shirt (that I now wear all the time). I really hope they come back this year.
The shirts were nice and fit with the anniversary theme, and the bibs were customized for what I think was the first time!
Race morning came all too early, but the perk of running a race in your hometown is that it only takes 15 minutes to get to the start. I lined up with my pace group (which I severely overestimated. I could have moved up 2 groups) and waited for the start. I found my friend Drew who was running the 4 miler and decided to stick with him until he finished.
The race itself was probably my favorite race of last year. It wasn't my fastest, or my best performance, but it made me fall more in love with my town. All 5 miles of the (out and back) course were lined with strangers cheering for me. They made the hills bearable. They gave us water. They held encouraging signs.
I got to run through areas I had been through tons of times, but there's something about running on a road that you normally drive on that's special.
I actually finished faster than I thought (2:22) but my goal is to beat that this year.
And of course, there's the favorite part of every race: the bling!
Here's a review breakdown:
Course: This course is HILLY! I personally love hills because they are impossible to avoid around here, but if you don't like them, stay away.
Atmosphere: It's basically one big party. There are live bands, cheering fans, an announcer that says your name as you cross the finish (even though he pronounced mine wrong). The whole thing is very encouraging and supportive.
Medal: Big, gorgeous, sparkly, and commemorative of the anniversary. Love it and can't wait for more.
Packet pickup: Smooth, organized, and unproblematic.
Post-race food and entertainment: Excellent! Lots of options to choose from for food, and the awards ceremony is enough entertainment for the whole day! (There is a live band after but I left before it was over)
I'm looking forward to doing the race again this year. I should probably go ahead and sign up soon before the price increases. One of my long term running goals is actually to do the race for the next 10 years to get every medal from the 40th to 50th anniversary.
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