Vacation Races' Great Smoky Mountains 5K Experience
I always joke that I’m first place in my heart; glad I took a picture as proof!
After a summer focused on 5K training I finally ran my race on Friday, September 9th. I’ll start by saying that (1) I loved spending the summer training for a 5K and (2) Vacation Races puts on great events. Read on for my full recap of Vacation Races’ Great Smoky Mountains 5K.
Accommodations
This deserves a whole different post for another day because this race was part of the Great Smoky Mountains Running Experience, so I’ll try to be brief in describing my accommodations during the race. Accommodations during the retreat experience were at Seven Springs Retreats – a 25-minute drive from race location in Townsend – and I stayed in one of their yurts, a cool mix of a tent, hut and house. It was magical and something that needs to be experienced to be fully understood.
Expo
Expo was the day of the race and straight-forward with bib, shirt, and cup pickup all in tents right next to one another. There were a few other vendors with basic running gear for sale.
Pre-Race
So many bathrooms with little to no lines! This is the highlight of the pre-race happenings. The race started at 6:15pm, but everyone was asked to gather at 5:45pm for race announcements and to cross the street together since the race started on the opposite side of the road. Part of my pre-race was spent doing my warm-up for the race: 1 mile with strides. A perk of this race location is that there is a path that is exactly .50 miles long, so I ran out and back for the mile and then did a few strides.
Post-Race
I will never complain about a race with an announcer that says everyone’s name as they cross the finish line. I will also never complain about a race that gives runners a stacked post-race snack box. There is a medal for this race, but no race photographers (bummer!). My post-race experience was full of a 1-mile cool down to boost recovery – much needed in anticipation of Saturday’s hike.
On the Course
There was some confusion as to the location of the water stop; I thought it was at the 1.5-mile mark, but it was actually closer to the 2-mile mark and not as visible as I would have liked. I had my water with me, so I was ok on hydration, but I didn’t realize I passed the water table until I passed it. The course route takes you alongside the main road through town, around a local neighborhood, and through an underpass to the finish line. There aren’t many spectators in the first 2 miles of the race, but I was surrounded by runners the entire time. Spectators did pick up in that final mile with people cheering me on during that final .10-mile push at the end.
Race Experience
I’ve raced enough to know enough about what can happen during a race. I also know that the 5K is a whole different animal of a race and it’s one that I hadn’t done in quite some time. I spoke to my running coach the week before the race, and we talked about my goal being tied to feeling instead of time: I wanted to feel strong and steady. The reality was (and is) that as a morning runner, this evening race was out of my comfort zone. Truthfully, as a person organizing, hosting, and participating in a retreat, I had certain stressors on me that I couldn’t have trained for in the lead up to the race itself.
I trust my training, but I also have developed a relationship with my body that leads me to be comfortable in saying that I don’t know how a race is going to go until I actually start running. My training may say one thing and indicate a whole slew of other things, but my body on race day is a different thing altogether. I was grateful for that warm-up mile + strides because it helped me check in with my body before the race started. How was I feeling? Like throwing up. My lack of evening running became clear and the warm-up reinforced the go-after-a-feeling goal I established for myself. It also didn’t help that the sun was baking me from start to finish. Heat and I are not a good combination and, despite all my years as a runner, the heat is one thing that continues to be my running nemesis.
So, I ran as steady as I could. I went out with the second wave of runners and was running soon after the 6:15pm start. I didn’t look at my watch once and, instead, focused on effort. The first 2 miles or so of the race are relatively flat and that last 1.1 mile or so delivers on the rolling hills (definitely hills for my Miami legs). There were a few moments in the second half of the race where I wanted to walk, but I pushed myself to keep going. It’s a short run, I can do this, right? I did it. I finished and I didn’t throw up.
Overall Impression
I respect the 5K as much as I respect the full marathon. I didn’t get a PR (personal record), but it did feel like a PB (personal best) because of how strong and steady I felt. Don’t get me wrong, I lived up to the “positive splits for positive people” saying, but, damn, I felt strong and I kept going when my mind was telling me to stop. This race was a reminder of how the body can keep going, even when the mind is puttering out. Running may look like a physical sport, but, in my experience, it is more of a mental sport.
Minus the water station situation, Vacation Races put on a great event. I did hear some rumblings about how long it took them to start waves 3-5, but my overall experience was a positive one. I love how eco-friendly the company is with their “Cup Free Racing” and how genuinely excited race personnel and volunteers are during the event. I had a great experience at least year’s half marathon experience and another great experience at this year’s 5K event, making Vacation Races a solid recommendation for runners seeking a fun run through our national parks.
Pros
Expo and race on the same day.
Medal at the finish line.
Awesome snack box + chocolate milk at the finish line.
Rolling start for waves 1-2.
5K distance: short enough to be quick, long enough to be hard.
Nice course that saves the hard parts for last, so that you finish feeling strong.
Depending on how you feel about this, 6:15pm start time for waves 1-2.
Small field size of less than 1000 runners.
Cons
Depending on how you feel about this, 6:15pm start time for waves 1-2 with a staggered start for later waves.
Depending on how you feel about hills, that last mile is full of them.
Depending on course preferences, one might not like running through residential neighborhoods.
Start line and first .50-mile are crowded! If you want to PR this race, I recommend starting in one of the first two waves as the sidewalk is wide enough for 2-3 runners running next to one another and you might have to run in the grass to pass. The course opens up once it turns off into the neighborhood.
No race photographers! This one makes me sad as I love race photos, especially finish line race photos.
For those of you who like the numbers, my time was 28:26 and this was my 41st 5K race. I have my eyes on a few events in October but haven’t settled on anything yet. Either way, I’m looking forward to running strong and running with heart.
