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| A mile in. 11/23/23 Focal Flame Photo |
As weather goes, this was the best weather for the race in my experience. Bright sun and temperatures were climbing into the 30s at the start of the race. There was a breeze from the north but thankfully we were running into the wind only a short time.
I signed up for the popular 5K race which was the last to get on the route at 8:50 am.
My timing was nearly perfect on arrival, finding a place along Lacy Road to park that was a 10-minute walk from the course.
By the time I joined the group identified as running 9-minute miles it was less than 10 minutes before we were moving up to the starting line waiting for the command to 'Go.'
The waves of runners are set-up so the route isn't heavily congested. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't know their pace or ignore the instructions because in the first half mile there were dozens of runners already tired, walking, or running slower than the people behind you.
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| Focal Flame photo. 11/23/2023 |
For the run I brought along a cinch sack to hold on to a phone. When I tried running with it on my back, it was distracting as it bounced with every step. Just before the start, I decided to carry it, which worked well.
The route has a sharp incline at the 2-mile mark. I kept running, which at this point was slightly faster than a walk.
The Berbee Derby has raised more than $2 million for technology in the community, specifically benefiting children, teens, and adults who had no or limited access to computers.
This event becomes the Birdie Derby in 2024 which will focus on the health and wellness of kids,, in and out of the classroom. It's operated by Tri 4 Schools, which was chosen by Berbee leaders, to take over this successful Madison Thanksgiving tradition.
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| To the finish line. 11/23/23 Focal Flame photo |
As a participant, I've always liked the way this event is organized and look forward to giving the new race a try.
After the sharp hill I recovered my wind. Because it's a short 3.1 mile race, you are always have people around you. I saw quite a few children on the course, many of them running quite well alongside a parent.
At the top we turned right while 10K runners went left as we converged on Research Park road for the run to the finish.
Since each runner is timed with a computer chip, I wouldn't know my time until later in the day. I looked at the clock above the finish line trying to calculate my time. While I wasn't sure, I felt good and was confident I'd make it in less than 30 minutes.
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| I'm under the banner behind the guy below D in Derby. |
From there I walked through the food tent for a bagel and two containers of chocolate milk before heading to the car and going home.
Results were published online later. The winner of the 5K finished in 15:17.
I was 17th in my age group (60 - 64) out of 62 runners; 552nd male finisher; and 806th overall.
It was my fastest derby, finishing in 29:23.45 for a pace of 9:28. As a reward, a couple hours later I enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner.
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| At the finish line. 11/22/23 dwm photo |
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