This was my second time participating in this race. I’d had such a blast the year before on this FLAT and FAST 5K course then going to the Hampton Seafood … MORE
This was my second time participating in this race. I’d had such a blast the year before on this FLAT and FAST 5K course then going to the Hampton Seafood Festival afterward that I couldn’t let myself miss it…even though at 6 months pregnant, I ran for easy completion and cardiovascular health rather than attempting a PR.
PRODUCTION: As always, Millennium Running put on a smooth event. I arrived at 7:30 a.m. this year and easily found metered parking, though it was farther from the start line compared to last year’s earlier arrival. The metered parking prices had been raised to just over $3/hour. Parking near the finish line filled up quickly as it had last year. They again had “Yoga on the Beach,” but I ddn’t participate this year due to my big belly. They again had a short “little lobsters” run for kids, and they avoided false starts. Most of the kids looked like they had a good time. The start line pacing corrals didn’t have a walker/stroller division (like they usually do), so I just headed to the 11-12min/mile corral. I didn’t seem to be in anyone’s way despite doing a 30s run/1min walk interval throughout the race.
COURSE: The same as last year, the course is a flat up-and-back along the ocean route. My Garmin watch measured the start-to-finish course as only 2.83 miles, but I can’t say whether the issue was with the route or my device. The start and finish lines were on the sand (which was neat but slow). I I heard some of the beginner runners around me complain of the difficulty moving through the sand/getting it in their shoes. You can see the ocean along much of the course, and you get a great view of the approaching finish line on the last half-mile.
SWAG: No medal, but you do get a performance tee. The 2023 design was light blue and bore the slogan “Sunday Runday” with a cute sun/sand logo. The ladies’ tees had seaming along the sides to make them fitted. No XS option.
AFTER-PARTY: As one of the slower runners this year, I caught the tail end of the finish line “party.” They had enough bananas, snacks, yogurt, bottled water, PowerAid, and smiling volunteers to make sure even the later-comers received post-race fuel. Most people had left for the Seafood Festival by the time I arrived at the finish, so it was a nice, calm scene. I loved attending the Seafood Festival again this year, got the hot buttered lobster roll which I’d been craving for months, and enjoyed eating it right on the ocean. It was also fun to run right into the water to soak my calves and take in a few waves after the run. My beer ticket would have been redeemable in the festival’s beer garden, where they had beer, seltzer, and canned cocktail options. (I obviously gave mine away this year.)
OVERALL: Same impressions as last year: This is a great event for a first-time racer or PR-seeker. Arrive early to snag nearby parking. Bring a yoga mat if you want to take the free yoga class. BRING CASH as some of the Seafood Festival vendors were cash-only. Pack your beach bag for after the race so you can enjoy a beach day while partaking of some of NH’s best seafood!
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Ocean Breezy
This was my second time participating in this race. I’d had such a blast the year before on this FLAT and FAST 5K course then going to the Hampton Seafood … MORE
This was my second time participating in this race. I’d had such a blast the year before on this FLAT and FAST 5K course then going to the Hampton Seafood Festival afterward that I couldn’t let myself miss it…even though at 6 months pregnant, I ran for easy completion and cardiovascular health rather than attempting a PR.
PRODUCTION: As always, Millennium Running put on a smooth event. I arrived at 7:30 a.m. this year and easily found metered parking, though it was farther from the start line compared to last year’s earlier arrival. The metered parking prices had been raised to just over $3/hour. Parking near the finish line filled up quickly as it had last year. They again had “Yoga on the Beach,” but I ddn’t participate this year due to my big belly. They again had a short “little lobsters” run for kids, and they avoided false starts. Most of the kids looked like they had a good time. The start line pacing corrals didn’t have a walker/stroller division (like they usually do), so I just headed to the 11-12min/mile corral. I didn’t seem to be in anyone’s way despite doing a 30s run/1min walk interval throughout the race.
COURSE: The same as last year, the course is a flat up-and-back along the ocean route. My Garmin watch measured the start-to-finish course as only 2.83 miles, but I can’t say whether the issue was with the route or my device. The start and finish lines were on the sand (which was neat but slow). I I heard some of the beginner runners around me complain of the difficulty moving through the sand/getting it in their shoes. You can see the ocean along much of the course, and you get a great view of the approaching finish line on the last half-mile.
SWAG: No medal, but you do get a performance tee. The 2023 design was light blue and bore the slogan “Sunday Runday” with a cute sun/sand logo. The ladies’ tees had seaming along the sides to make them fitted. No XS option.
AFTER-PARTY: As one of the slower runners this year, I caught the tail end of the finish line “party.” They had enough bananas, snacks, yogurt, bottled water, PowerAid, and smiling volunteers to make sure even the later-comers received post-race fuel. Most people had left for the Seafood Festival by the time I arrived at the finish, so it was a nice, calm scene. I loved attending the Seafood Festival again this year, got the hot buttered lobster roll which I’d been craving for months, and enjoyed eating it right on the ocean. It was also fun to run right into the water to soak my calves and take in a few waves after the run. My beer ticket would have been redeemable in the festival’s beer garden, where they had beer, seltzer, and canned cocktail options. (I obviously gave mine away this year.)
OVERALL: Same impressions as last year: This is a great event for a first-time racer or PR-seeker. Arrive early to snag nearby parking. Bring a yoga mat if you want to take the free yoga class. BRING CASH as some of the Seafood Festival vendors were cash-only. Pack your beach bag for after the race so you can enjoy a beach day while partaking of some of NH’s best seafood!
Flat, Fast, and Fun!
PRODUCTION: Millennium Running always seems to put on organized events. I arrived at 7:00 a.m. and was able to easily find metered parking near the start line ($2/hr). By 8:00 … MORE
PRODUCTION: Millennium Running always seems to put on organized events. I arrived at 7:00 a.m. and was able to easily find metered parking near the start line ($2/hr). By 8:00 the closest spots were almost a mile from it. This race had a “yoga on the beach” event. I hadn’t brought a mat, but signed up after being told most of the poses would be standing and I therefore wouldn’t need one. This turned out not to be the case, and I became pretty sandy. The yoga was a great warm-up, though, and I was happy I’d participated in the end. There was a short “little lobsters” run for children. One of the kids made a false start which turned into the entire race (about 30 seconds). I thought they’d offer to try again and give the kiddos a proper gun start, but instead the announcers made a joke about needing to get better at kids’ starts and everyone moved on. It wasn’t a big deal as it was a non-competitive run, but I’d have been frustrated as a child if I’d trained for a race and had that experience. The starting area had pacing corrals, which I always appreciate. As usual, MR created a joyful finish line experience as they announced runners’ names over the loudspeaker and volunteers handed finishers bottles of water right away.
COURSE: This was the flattest 3.1 miles I’ve ever run. It was a straight up-and-back course (including a very tight U-turn). The start and finish lines were right on the beach. This added a fun element (and created unique, lovely race photos) but the sand made the first and last 20 seconds of the run challenging. I found I had to power-walk the beginning and couldn’t sprint to the finish line. (I believe I would have had a sub-29m time without these elements.) Much of the course provided ocean views. A few locals came out and shouted encouragement for the runners, and one couple blasted the “Rocky” theme from their apartment window. I PRed at this race with my first sub-30m 5K (29m03s), which I credit to the flatness of the course and invigorating ocean breezes.
SWAG: This race does NOT provide a finisher medal. The race shirt is a performance tee. The 2022 design was burgundy and inspired by the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” logo with the word “Run” subbing for “Sun.” No XS option.
AFTER-PARTY: MR always does a great job providing after-race fuel to the runners, including PowerAid, water, bananas, chips, pretzels, and yogurt. At this event, the finish line area was right on the beach. Then, of course, there was the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival, which was a blast! Overall, the prices were reasonable considering they were offering fresh (delicious!) seafood. My beer ticket was redeemable in the festival’s beer garden, where I could choose beer, seltzer, or canned cocktail with my drink ticket. Despite how popular this event is, it didn’t feel too crowded, and I didn’t wait in line more than a minute or so to order anything. Attendees and vendors alike were friendly.
OVERALL: This is a great event for a first-time racer due to the flat course and casual vibe. Arrive earlier than you ordinarily would for a 9:00 start to get municipal parking near the start line, bring a yoga mat or large beach towel if they offer yoga, and definitely pack beachwear and sandals to change into after the race so you can feel fresh while enjoying the seafood festival and/or post-race beach day.