The last few years I have started the new year with a race. The past two years I’ve done the Run Cbus race in downtown Columbus. But this year, the Buckeye Striders decided to switch back to the First on the First 5K in Westerville.

The first thing that impressed me is the fact we could wait for the start of the race inside the Westerville Community Center! Several inches of snow have fallen over the last few days and the temps were in the low 30s, so waiting inside was nice.

Despite the snow, the course was very clear. The entire route was wet, but not frozen. There were a few slushy spots, a couple muddy spots, but otherwise it was good! The beginning of the race was on one lane of a street, so there was plenty of room to maneuver around people. As the crowds thinned out, parts of the course did get narrower, but it never felt crowded.

As we approached the finish, Race Director David Babner announced the names of many finishers. We received nice medals and a bottle of water.

Back in the Community Center gym were tons of tables and several taco stations featuring soft tacos with carnitas (pork) to bring all of us good luck. We were also offered chocolate milk and there was tons of water. It was a great atmosphere for relaxing after the race!

A photographer, sponsored by Ohio Health, took group photos and printed them out for free! Ohio Health also handed out cool blue water bottles stuffed with training schedules for the Cap City Half Marathon, another M3S race, slated for May 4.

The long-sleeved blue shirt is a nice technical fabric and looks great. Unfortunately they were only in men’s sizes, so mine is too big. Though I would prefer a women’s sized shirt, with long-sleeved shirts it isn’t such a big deal since it is easier to layer them if they are a little too large.

This was a very well-organized event! I loved having access to the Community Center before and after the race! The food was great, and there was plenty of it, even for the slowest finishers.

I would highly recommend this event for anyone wanting to enter a New Year’s Day race!

PS: Sorry I don’t have photos! They just didn’t turn out.

 

 

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