This is a super hero themed 5K that raises money for the NH Humane Society. I was looking for a Saturday 5K this weekend in NH and since I love … MORE
This is a super hero themed 5K that raises money for the NH Humane Society. I was looking for a Saturday 5K this weekend in NH and since I love superheroes and dogs I decided to do this one. It is located at Castle in the Clouds by Lake Winnipesaukee near the White Mountains in an absolutely gorgeous part of NH. As it is located more in northern NH I stayed at my parents house in Concord this weekend as it was closer to both races. There was very good pre race communication for a smaller charity 5K. However the course was very difficult and while the description didn’t make it sound easy it could’ve emphasized the difficulty a little more. Race morning was a breeze and I loved that there were lots of signs and clear directions of how to get to the race. Packet pick-up is race day. Packet included bib and a nice tech shirt for a 5K with the race logo. There were also a few booths with some samples of dog treats and some sweet dogs available for adoption (I would’ve adopted one of them if I didn’t travel for races so much). The start and finish were chip timed with a start/finish arch. One minor production complaint is the race was scheduled to start at 8:30 but they told us to line up at 8:30 and there was about 10 minutes of pre-race stuff (course info, thank you from human society, anthem, etc) so the race started about 10 minutes late. One thing I was very happy about was there was finally cool weather and it was beautiful to run in. After the humidity and heat of the past few weeks this was wonderful. However as I said the course was really tough. The first half was a loop and mostly trail. The trail wasn’t super technical but there were very steep uphills and downhills. There were also gorgeous views. You then run past the start/finish area and do an out and back. The out and back was non-technical trail but was a very steep up and a very steep down. The course had about 400 feet of elevation gain which is about the same as my half marathon had the next day. The course was very well marked and there were a few cheering sections. One other minor production complaint is while there was a few aid stations they just had water bottles not cups. I was very happy to make it to the finish line as this was tough. I laughed at my finishing time because I was actually slower than the race I completely walked even though I ran some of this one. You got a small medal with the race logo. I liked small medals like this for 5Ks. Post race food was just bananas but you also got a drink ticket where you could get beer or soda. Overall while this was a very tough race it was also very beautiful and went to a good cause. One recommendation I have because of the difficulty would be to have a shorter 2.5 K option with just the first loop. This would be better for families and smaller dogs. My parents have a little shih tzu who would’ve been fun to bring but could never complete the 5K. Especially as this goes to a good cause I would do this race again but I would not expect a PR.
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The Dog Days Are Over
This is a super hero themed 5K that raises money for the NH Humane Society. I was looking for a Saturday 5K this weekend in NH and since I love … MORE
This is a super hero themed 5K that raises money for the NH Humane Society. I was looking for a Saturday 5K this weekend in NH and since I love superheroes and dogs I decided to do this one. It is located at Castle in the Clouds by Lake Winnipesaukee near the White Mountains in an absolutely gorgeous part of NH. As it is located more in northern NH I stayed at my parents house in Concord this weekend as it was closer to both races. There was very good pre race communication for a smaller charity 5K. However the course was very difficult and while the description didn’t make it sound easy it could’ve emphasized the difficulty a little more. Race morning was a breeze and I loved that there were lots of signs and clear directions of how to get to the race. Packet pick-up is race day. Packet included bib and a nice tech shirt for a 5K with the race logo. There were also a few booths with some samples of dog treats and some sweet dogs available for adoption (I would’ve adopted one of them if I didn’t travel for races so much). The start and finish were chip timed with a start/finish arch. One minor production complaint is the race was scheduled to start at 8:30 but they told us to line up at 8:30 and there was about 10 minutes of pre-race stuff (course info, thank you from human society, anthem, etc) so the race started about 10 minutes late. One thing I was very happy about was there was finally cool weather and it was beautiful to run in. After the humidity and heat of the past few weeks this was wonderful. However as I said the course was really tough. The first half was a loop and mostly trail. The trail wasn’t super technical but there were very steep uphills and downhills. There were also gorgeous views. You then run past the start/finish area and do an out and back. The out and back was non-technical trail but was a very steep up and a very steep down. The course had about 400 feet of elevation gain which is about the same as my half marathon had the next day. The course was very well marked and there were a few cheering sections. One other minor production complaint is while there was a few aid stations they just had water bottles not cups. I was very happy to make it to the finish line as this was tough. I laughed at my finishing time because I was actually slower than the race I completely walked even though I ran some of this one. You got a small medal with the race logo. I liked small medals like this for 5Ks. Post race food was just bananas but you also got a drink ticket where you could get beer or soda. Overall while this was a very tough race it was also very beautiful and went to a good cause. One recommendation I have because of the difficulty would be to have a shorter 2.5 K option with just the first loop. This would be better for families and smaller dogs. My parents have a little shih tzu who would’ve been fun to bring but could never complete the 5K. Especially as this goes to a good cause I would do this race again but I would not expect a PR.