Special Olympics - Run for the Athletes 5K

This is a small local 5K run at Blackberry Farms (an "Historical" site/park/picnic area) just southwest of Aurora, IL. The event is put on by the Aurora Police Department as a fund raiser for the Illinois Special Olympics. I've run this course at least twice before, once for the same event two years ago and once as the "Spring Gallop 5K" in the spring last year. It has grown every year, there were probably two to three hundred runners (the first year there were 85 runners).



A fun course around the parking lot, then out on an asphalt nature trail that is totally wooded, i.e., completely shaded, which was nice as the run was at 6pm and the temerature was still in the 80s and the humidity was pretty thick. After an out and back on the nature trail that comprises the first two miles, with two pedestrian bridges that span small creeks, one being a suspension bridge that bounces (always coming up just as my foot was going down), you turn onto a crushed gravel trail that circumnavigates a large pond (they call it a lake) until you finish back in the parking lot.



I was hoping for a PR after my shoddy finish a week-and-a-half ago at the Terrapin 5K where I resorted to short walking breaks and finished there in 27:03 (a minute and 45 seconds off of my 5K PR). But, once again, the heat got the better of me. I did take a few short walking breaks and probably could have pushed through it, but thought the better of it. I still finished in 26:09 (51 seconds slower than my 25:18 PR).



Oh well I thought - then I looked up the official finishing times and realized I took second in my AG - hey, there were only three guys in the 55-59 AG, but I beat one of 'em! Now to get my name on the 365Runners "All-Time Record Holders" board - so what if I am currently the only male 365Runner in that AG. I have a 10K in a week-and-a-half and will have another record to post!



And to top it off, everyone got a Special Olympics' Finishers Medal for completing the 5K. Everyone's a winner!

. A little warm out there and not too far off of your PR - good job and great AG 2nd place!!! 2 of 3 aint bad!

Hey, who cares if you're the only one on the board....it's a record. Age group awards are NICE!

Ditto what Dot said - who cares, you are the 55+ group for now. Congrats on the AG award in tough conditions.

Pete, you are a winner!! Nice running.

Congratulations on the AG award, Pete!

Good stuff, Pete!