Lightrun 5K

I went to pick my race number on Tuesday and scope out my transportation options.  Bus #16 has a stop very close to my apartment, and goes close to the Grand Canyon mall (where I needed to go, and where the race begins and ends).  The problem is that bus #16 doesn't come very often and doesn't run at all in the evening.  This would be a problem because the race starts at 20:00.  But I could take that bus to the race, and a different one home.  On the other hand, there were a lot of religious people on that bus, and I'd rather not be riding in my running togs and offending them (I'll offend other people!).

I arrived at the Grand Canyon mall, and could see where the race will start, because they started setting up barriers.  But I couldn't find the pickup site within the mall.  I walked around, I asked the Information ladies, still couldn't find it.  Went back out and asked the security guard, and he pointed inside and upstairs.  Fine, I had already walked the second floor.  But I saw a young man go in with a bunch of race signs in a shopping cart, and asked him if I could follow him.  Sure.  We get in the elevator, he pushes the button for "2", and then I realize my folly.  In Israel, the ground floor is always "0", like my apartment is on the first floor, but you have walk up one flight of stairs.  The pickup site was on the SECOND floor.

I knew my registration number, got my packet, and left.  Since I noticed a גלידה באר שבע in my walk-about, I decided to get some caramel ice cream (that's the kind of thing you get in malls, right?), before heading out.  I decided to take the #9 bus, which is now the route of choice.  It runs really frequently, it runs until 23:00, and it goes downtown where I can pick up my usual bus (#12).

The registration packet has Turkish coffee, a pen, some lotion, a bookmark and a few advertisements.  And the requisite shirt.

THE REPORT
Well, the race website states that there were more than 5,000 runners for the 10K/5K event. Wow.  But a few of the Kansas City races I participate in are that big, too (like the Santa 5K at JCCC).  The pre-/post-race site was really different.  There were about 15 race-related vendors, selling running shoes, running clothes, and running accoutrement.  I wore my official race shirt, and got my required glow stick bracelet (which glowed a faint and ghostly lavender).  My officially posted race time is acceptable, but not my best ever, at 37:57.  I did pick up a medal that was available for each participant.

Of course, I had to take two buses each way to the race site, and two of the four bus drivers commented and laughed a little.