Sacramento Running News

Masters Winners Ed Randolph and Mary Coordt

The past couple of years, I’ve used this race as my “kick-off” 5K to start the fall road racing season.  It’s local, well-run, and well attended.  The course is reasonably fast, and good for figuring out my fitness and dialing in my training.  This year there was a new angle:  I’m not sure what governing body designated this race the “City of Sacramento 5K Championship” but that’s what the medal says.

Here are your City of Sacramento 5K Champions:

Women
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Don’t expect to see many reports on triathlons here, but Eppie’s Great Race is still the big daddy of local, community centered sporting events.  For many locals, this may be the one organized race they compete in all year–either as an “ironman” or as part of a relay team. And the race raises a kayak-load of cash for Sacramento County Therapeutic Recreation Services, to help provide provide “therapeutic recreation opportunities for individuals with mental, physical, developmental, sensory, emotional impairments or special needs residing in Sacramento County.”

As a triathlon, it is odd in that you don’t need to know how to swim.  In lieu of a swim, this event includes a down-stream kayak (or evidently any other floating object) leg.

Once again, the winners of the Eppies Great Race Ironpersons divisions were 39-year old Nicole Young, who finished in 2:02:30, and 51-year old Vic Vicari who crushed the hopes and dreams of competitors half his age by finishing in an astonishing 1:44:24.  Interestingly, the next fastest man was 46-year old Mark Barrett, who was only a minute behind in 1:45:23.   Third and fourth place were 48-year old Jeff Schwing (1:48:21) and 40-year old Nikolas Rechtiene (1:51:48). Where are the fast young guys?

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Runner with beer being stopped by police.

Organizing and hosting a race is always challenging.  As a race director, you have to plan for every contingency imaginable and then deal with the things that really happen on race day.  Imagine the headaches created by binge drinking race participants!

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Bay to Breakers race organizers said “more than 30 participants had to be taken to hospitals via ambulance after this year’s race, most for alcohol-related reasons.”    This is why they are announcing a strict “no-alcohol policy” for next year’s race.  Are they going to start cracking down on the naked guys now?

There you are, standing outside in the hot Valley afternoon, staring down another bratwurst on a sourdough roll.  You know you shouldn’t but you think “Hey!  It’s Independence Day!” You bask in the knowledge that you are one of the 74% of Americans who know what country our founding fathers declared independence from.  So you decide to grab that dog and wolf it down.  It settles into your stomach and curls up next to the first one, and they slosh gently in the beer (or soda) you washed it down with.  You pat your stomach and catch yourself admiring the elastic waistband of your host’s trousers.

The dog was good, almost as good as the first one, but you’re left with a greasy taste in your mouth and a wish that your morning had included a decent run—maybe even a race.  Well, today is your lucky day because wishes—with a little planning—can come true!

For the past 35 years, there has been a free, five-mile race on July Fourth.  It is the aptly named Fourth of July Five Miler, and it starts and finishes at Glen Hall Park in the River Park neighborhood.   It is a free race, so don’t expect a lot of swag but it’s a nice way to start the day.  Walkers and baby joggers are plentiful and the neighbors come out to participate or cheer on the runners.  If you’re in the mood, there is usually a neighborhood parade shortly afterward.

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