Oh hi there! I'm
finally back to recapping all of the amazing races that I participate in.
Let's start with
the Santa Monica Classic!
This was my first time running this race, as it’s part of
the inaugural ConqurLA Challenge. I registered for all 3 races at once through
imAthlete.com, quick and painless. Pre-race information was communicated
consistently via e-mail and Facebook. There was an option to pick up your bib
the day before, but I opted against driving an hour for that. There was a
one-hour window before the race(s) to pick it up and the lines were very short.
I decided to park downtown near the pier where the finish line was, it was
about a mile walk to the start which made for a good warm-up. After getting my bib, I met up with my other
Conqur Endurance Ambassadors to hang out and snap a few pictures. Weather conditions were ideal for racing
today, mid-60's, light breeze, and plenty of clouds. The humidity was high, but it's near the
beach.
10 of the 12 Conqur Endurance Ambassadors
Before I go over the race details, I want to give major
respect to the young lady that sang our national anthem. She knocked it out of the park without using
the PA system, it was a great way to honor our country on 9/11. The 5K started first, led by the track teams
from Santa Monica and Malibu High Schools. They were competing in a first-year
challenge. Shortly after, the full 5K field was off and running. 20 minutes or
so after the 5K began, the 10K started. I had to do a lot of weaving in and out
because I wanted until the last minute to go #1 and didn’t get closer to the
front in time, totally my fault. The start line was near Ocean View Park and
the first mile was mostly flat and went along Main St. Just before mile 2, the course
made a turn facing the pier followed by a right onto Ocean Ave. This is where
the gentle uphill climb began as well as passing by the finish line chute. Over
the next 2+ miles, the course gained about 200 feet of elevation. Mile 3 was
mostly on San Vicente Blvd with the turnaround coming at mile 4. At that point,
I was rewarded for keeping a good pace on the uphill climb with a 200-foot
elevation loss in the exact opposite direction. The final stretch of the race
is also identical for the LA Marathon, so it’s good practice for mentally
preparing yourself for that.
Upon crossing across the finish, there were volunteers
handing out water and finishers medals (see picture). I met back up with the
ambassador crew who were hanging out by the finish. Runners were then directed to the Santa
Monica Pier where the expo was being held. Once there, I got my finishers shirt
and a few other goodies. Results were available live online with free tracking
that included social media posting. There was also a results tent set up with
plenty of laptops. All in all, this was an amazing race from Conqur Endurance
Group and a great way to start the Conqur LA Challenge. My only suggestion is
to consider starting the 10K first; there seemed to be a lot of walkers with
strollers on the course.
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