Sometimes races don't go so well ...

Festival of Lights 5K – 12/07/08

Tonight was an annual 5K and 1 mile fun run that is usually a very fun family event. It was the 1st 5K I ran in last year. I ran it then with my older son. My husband ran the 1 mile with our younger son. The races are run after dark. Luminaries line the race course, Christmas music plays throughout, and the runners all have jingle bells tied to their shoes. It is really a fun night.

Not this year.

This year the boys decided not to run. Jesse and I signed up to run the 5K together. But, due to the 20 miler yesterday, I opted not to run and just rest my ITB for a few days. I went with Jesse to the race to cheer him and the other runners on.Things seemed more chaotic before the race this year than last year.

1st of all, I think the number of runners had easily doubled from last year with many trying to register at the race site. They were just not prepared for that many people.


Secondly, they started the first race (1 mile fun run) at 5:30 BEFORE any paramedics had arrived. True, it's a 1 mile run and usually nothing happens at those... especially when the temp is in the low 40's. Then there was tonight.

Jesse and I stood at the finish line area to cheer in the kids running the one miler. The 1st runner came in right at 6:30 min. He looked to be about 7 or 8 years old. WTG!!! Then a few more kids. Then at around 8 min a Dad (early to mid 40's) came in running with his 2 kids.

More kids coming in. The Dad and kids walked out of the finish area where the Dad collapsed. Apparent heart attack. No paramedics! The ambulance showed up a FULL 5 min later then couldn't get through the crowd. Just too many people. They had to leave the ambulance on the other side of the finish line, take the stretcher out of it, run through the finish line past runners still coming in, then through the crowds of people who wouldn't move for anything (because they are trying to take pictures of THEIR kids, you know) to get to the poor guy. I have no idea whether he made it or not. I hope so.

It was such a nightmare, I thought they might call the race. Nope. The 5K started at about 6:15. I stayed at the finish line to cheer Jesse in. The 1st runners came in a little over 15 min. Then, a weird thing started happening. Runners would cross the finish line then stop. Just stop. Some would bend over and mess with their timing chips; some just turned around to look for their friends. As more and more runners came in, the crowd started backing up before the finish line! By the 28 min time, runners were having trouble running across the finish line. It was ridiculous!

FINALLY, the race coordinator got on a microphone and started yelling at everyone to keep moving and clear the finish line area. By then it was too late. It was backed up way before the finish line. Jesse said someone shoved him from behind trying to get past him to the finish. What was the point of that? He couldn't move either. His gun time was 38:32. But, that means nothing. He was standing still watching the time go up and not moving.

Really, it wasn't like this last year. I am glad I didn't run it.