Let’s state an obvious fact: the world needs more road races that kick off at 9AM!

This morning it was off to Wompatuck State Park in Hingham, Massachusetts for the Set the Pace 5K which kicked off brilliantly on time at 9AM. Race conditions were quite nice at the start with temps right around 50 degrees and just a few sprinkles of rain while on the course but thanks to the race taking place on paths through the forest they really didn’t make a difference at all. The course is a really pretty course through a true gem of a State Park and runners traversed on paved paths the entire time. There is a nice mix of hills mixed into the course and the race had a water stop just about halfway through the race.

The race serves as a fundraiser for the Friends of South Shore Health Cardiovascular Care and it was great to see a nice contingent of runners and walkers toeing the starting line this morning to help support this cause.

The Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Center at South Shore Health has more than 10,000 patient visits per year working with more than 30 cardiologists, radiologists and vascular surgeons.  They specialize in the prevention, detection, treatment and rehabilitation of heart disease.

The Set the Pace 5K race was the May Grand Prix Race for the Thirsty Irish Runners and it’s always nice to catch up with my teammates while at the race.

I finished up the Set the Pace 5K with a time of 27:50, good for 8:57/miles.

Post race, it was off to Slacktide Coffee in Hanover for a coffee and the shaken iced smoked maple latte was downright incredible. Head over there and check it out!