Raptor Run 3K

After TJ finished first in his age group in the race last weekend, we found out that there is a Championship Series Race here in June.  You can run in the race if you win any award in any of 3 racing series in our county.  You also get a special award if you win an award in a race in EACH of the 3 racing series.  So we talked to him and he wanted to run in a race in the 2nd of the 3 series which took place yesterday.  I wasn't sure if they would even let him run since he had a hard cast placed on his left wrist on Monday by the orthopedic, but when I called, they said that he races at his own risk and it was up to us to decide if he could race or not.  We went for it!

When we arrived at the race location, there was a MOB of people.  MANY more than the race last weekend.  As I looked around, I saw many kids in running club shirts from their schools.  I was worried.  I even told SG (who went with us) that I wasn't sure if TJ would place in his age group.  The starting line was set up by pace (6:00min pace, 7:00min pace, etc)  I'm so glad he had run last week or I would have had NO idea where to start him.  As it was, we started him in the 7:00min pace because that's what he ran last weekend.  Unfortunately, somehow he thought the race was starting off in the opposite direction so he wandered back to the 8:00min pace starting line.

The course is more of a cross-country course than a road race.  It is around and through our local zoo.  The course has lots of twists and turns, some paved road, some dirt, some gravel.  The finish line is around a curve, so it was hard to get good shots of him coming in.

We finally found out that 1369 people were signed up for the race.  The winner finished in 9:36.  TJ came in 67th overall, but 1st again in his age group!  I was thrilled!  There were 101 boys in his age group and he finished in 12:29!

He even improved his pace from last week.  This week he was at a 6:43 pace.

He was excited too, until he saw the "trophy" he won.

That's it in his hand.  A stuffed dinosaur.  I have to admit - I don't blame him.  This was the "trophy" given to ALL winners (adults and kids) and they were all the same size regardless of place.  Oh well.  

There is now one more series that he needs to place in.  There are two races left in that series - a 5k and an 8k/2mi race.  So far, he has raced in only 2mi races.  However, I found out that the 2m race in this series doesn't award winners based on age group.  So I am trying to encourage him to try a 5k.  He thinks it's too far.  He has 2 weeks before this race to prepare, so we are going to encourage him to stretch for this one.  We'll have to see how it goes.