The Paddy Kelly 5 Miler is typically a wintery affair, this year a blizzard dumped way more snow on the Greater Brockton area than one could have been expected to hoof a five miler race through. Race directors wisely chose to postpone the race and yesterday was the rescheduled date of the event.

Just a short trip up Route 24 to the City of Champions, The Paddy Kelly is put on by the Colonial Road Runners and takes place on a relatively flat course through D.W. Field Park. The park is the hidden gem of Brockton and is a runner’s haven as miles of pavement loop through the park along water, through the woods and past some rather remarkable scenery. Brockton is an old, mill city but proves that amongst some of the aged ruin of years past there are still some diamonds like D.W. Field Park that shine through.

The course is a standard road race course as there are several road races that take place in the park. Tower Hill was included just shy of the first mile which causes runners to put their head down and trudge their way up this pretty marked incline. A couple of additional rolling hills are mixed into the race but for the most part the terrain is quite flat which doesn’t allow for much pace variation.

My calves were insanely tight going into the second mile and I had a hard time loosening up along the course. That said, I maintained a pretty good pace and was glad to finish the race with a time of 39:59, literally a smidge short of 8:00/miles.

Any runner has a list of races that are on a bucket list. Whether it be a generic racing goal like completing a marathon or a desire to complete a race you once saw in a Runners World, creating a list of must-do races is something that we as runners simply cannot help but avoid doing.

For me, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Miler is one of those races that I have always wanted to do. The photos of the race showing the cherry blossoms in full bloom throughout Washington, DC is one of the main draws I have had toward the race. Having run the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, there is something about running past sites so richly a part of our nation’s history that is simply awe-inspiring and downright remarkable.

I flew into Washington on Saturday morning and did the typical tourist things of checking out sites like the White House, Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. The  race had a great runner’s expo where number and shirt pick-up took place and a great variety of running businesses, charities and races hosted booths showcasing what each had to offer. The expo was well-organized and not overly crowded which was a nice fit.

Sunday morning the race kicked off at 7:30 AM at the Washington Monument so race organizers advised you to take the Metro to the starting line early enough to avoid the crowds. Assuming for packed Metro trains, I left my hotel around 5:45 and made my way from the hotel just a few stops over to Smithsonian and walked to the starting line. I was one of the earlier runners to arrive and battled a still brisk morning in a sweatshirt and my running gear. It would have been nice if a tent was available f0r runners but no such luck so huddled on a park bench it was for me.

When the race was ready to kick off the announcer advised runners to make their way to their respective chutes arranged by waves based upon anticipated times. The chutes and waves were perfectly paced in terms of kickoffs and by the time I was ready to hit the course I ditched the sweatshirt over the barriers and was off to hit the streets of D.C.

The Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Miler took place on some of the same roads that the Marine Corps Marathon I completed in 2010 traversed so some of the sights were familiar. The crowds were quite supportive along the way with some great signs, boisterous cheers and even an unofficial beer and Oreo aid station available. The official water stops were staffed to perfection and offered runners both Gatorade and water.

Though not all of the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, pockets of them began blooming and made for a pretty scenery to enjoy while running. The beauty of running in DC is there is always something to look at which makes the running that much more enjoyable. Out on the course, I ran naked from a watch and didn’t pay much attention to my time at the splits but felt as though I was running a pretty strong race. With a couple of jelly beans around the Mile 8 mark I felt I had enough in the tank to make a good push on the course.

Overall, the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler was a great experience and I am glad that I got to compete in the race once. It was a well organized, scenic and enjoyable run that certainly was a racing experience I will not soon forget. I finished the race with a time of 1:22:32 good for 8:15/miles.

The Running Griffin is proud to announce that we have joined forces with the bPositive Project. The bPositive Project is a founded on an amazing story of pulling oneself up from the bottom and creating something positive that gives back to the community. To check out more about the bPositive Project or to purchase some of their remarkable clothing, please click here.