My event, the Carlsbad 5000 5K Masters, age 40 and over for men (women and kids, too), was my only event. Afterwards there were 740 masters ahead of me. The first 250 runners got their medal I saw that coming at mile one. There was a cash incentive for the runner to run his/her fastest, ever. Nowhere else have I seen so many speedy, older men. The Carlsbad 5000 5K is the best opportunity to beat out an old PR, which I did. With all of my 26’s, I finally broke them with a 25.54. That was my goal. My thanks go out to every runner who turned out for the races. They were all pacers. Many runners did not finish with the First 250, but they were fast enough to help bump the pace and there were no gaps in the pack. The course was slightly downhill at the coast, then it was slightly uphill. The sight of the ocean was beautiful. A clock after the final turn told you your time within sight of the finish line. That point is where I decided to make a difference in my race. Eateries began opening after finishing the Masters 5K . I was standing there so I just dropped in for breakfast. The expo was better than average. The parking at the train station was sealed around six A. M., but we managed to find street parking easily. I expected the same dynamic explosion of runners for all of the other events, but I needed to leave after the Masters 5K. That event got a well deserved “A” from me.
