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@thejoelveencamp
Grimes, IA Raving since 2022 Active 2 weeks, 3 days agoAbout Me
My Races
Organize, track & review your races and personal bests here.
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Future Races
Personal Bests (1)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One Moore Run | 5K | Madrid, IA | Sep 2, 2023 | 18:30 |
Future Races (0)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Paid |
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Past Races (9)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result | My Raves | My Performance |
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| DMACC 5K | 5K | Ankeny, IA | Sep 30, 2023 | 18:58 | ||
| One Moore Run | 5K | Madrid, IA | Sep 2, 2023 | 18:30 |
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| Clive Running Festival | 5K | Clive, IA | Jul 7, 2023 | 19:38 |
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| Team RunFree Miles of Smiles 5K | 5K | Adel, IA | Jun 10, 2023 | 19:16 |
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| Drake Road Races | 5K | Des Moines, IA | Apr 23, 2023 | 19:33 |
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| DMACC 5K | 5K | Ankeny, IA | Oct 1, 2022 | 19:50 |
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| One Moore Run | 5K | Madrid, IA | Sep 3, 2022 | 19:59 |
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| Taste of Hope 5K | 5K | West Des Moines, IA | Jul 23, 2022 | 21:48 |
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| Clive Running Festival | 5K | Clive, IA | Jul 16, 2022 | 21:39 |
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One Moore Run
Same as 2022, short race
One Moore Run
My same thoughts echo last year, course was ~100m short though as an out and back I feel like they could fix this easily. ...................................................... MORE
My same thoughts echo last year, course was ~100m short though as an out and back I feel like they could fix this easily. ………………………………………………
Clive Running Festival
Same issues as last year, and even worse
Clive Running Festival
See my 2022 review as the same issues persisted. Mainly the course being .1 mile too long even though they changed up the start. Also my time was never recorded … MORE
See my 2022 review as the same issues persisted. Mainly the course being .1 mile too long even though they changed up the start.
Also my time was never recorded as they reused an old chip bib and just stapled it to a new number but stapled through the chip so it didn’t work.
Post race had decent food but again if this wasn’t free I would avoid this race at all costs. Can’t believe they host the senior Iowa games for this event also with the distance being so far off.
Team RunFree Miles of Smiles 5K
Nice simple local race
Team RunFree Miles of Smiles 5K
This race is put on by Team Runfree, an organization that pairs up runners with those with disabilities unable to run on their own. There was about 8 teams of … MORE
This race is put on by Team Runfree, an organization that pairs up runners with those with disabilities unable to run on their own. There was about 8 teams of the before mentioned and the rest were runners (around 100 total). The race was all in town on paved roads and a small loop around a nearby park. The race was a double out and back which is nice for spectators as they got to see runners at the start, middle, and finish of the race. Course was fairly flat.
Swag was a cooling towel and decent post race food. Can’t complain with anything really as the race is offered for free with the option to donate to Team Runfree.
No complaints on how the race was run, everything went smoothly. Can’t really beat a race with free entry, decent competition as well, no crazy fast runners but most people were in the 18-28 minute timeframe.
Drake Road Races
Fast course, good environment
Drake Road Races
I won't go into great detail as many have already done. Race is not the cheapest but a nice 1/4 zip as swag is better than a shirt. Packet pickup … MORE
I won’t go into great detail as many have already done. Race is not the cheapest but a nice 1/4 zip as swag is better than a shirt. Packet pickup has to be done a certain day before and same with picking up awards if you were top in age groups. I can understand as there is so many people, race day pickup and mailing awards aren’t feasible just be aware if you live outside of the Des Moines area. A friend can pick up your packet if need be.
Course is fairly flat and finishes on the track which is nice. I don’t particularly like the fact the half and 10k starts 15 minutes before the 5k as you get a mix of 5k+10k runners finishing at the same time. Makes sense from a logistics point of view just it just feels a little off having someone pass you at a much faster pace even if they are running a different distance.
Parking is really rough just a heads up especially if you are running the 5k and don’t need to be there until a little bit later. Other than that no complaints about the event. Lots of spectators in the stadium as well as a decent group of people about a half mile from the finish cheering. About 700 runners for the 5k which is obviously a good amount. Not too many festivities happening at the finish. Figured they would let sponsors and local companies set up tents on the infield and a band maybe and some post race entertainment especially considering the size of the event. There was a decent amount of sponsors set up at the packet pick up but 99% just ignores them as they want to get in and out asap.
One more thing, they take pictures and have a what i assume is automated detection to find all the pictures that you are included in. The majority of the pictures were in two spots, a certain section on the course and the finish. The images are free with the sponsor/race banner or you can pay for unaltered photos.
DMACC 5K
Great race with one major issue
DMACC 5K
This had probably the best pre/post race amenities of any 5k I have participated in. DJ was there an hour before the race and constantly gave updates and details all … MORE
This had probably the best pre/post race amenities of any 5k I have participated in. DJ was there an hour before the race and constantly gave updates and details all the way until the start. There was a large covered area with tables and seating. After the race, there was water/juice/bananas and even hot burritos. A couple of the sponsors had tents set up. There were multiple volunteers taking pictures at various points in the race, and those will be publicly available which is another plus.
Parking was plentiful and right next to the start. One of the campus buildings was open for restroom access.
Race details and map were very well laid out on their website. A week before the race, an email was sent out with tons of details which was very much appreciated. The way the race was set up and ran could not have been better.
The race looped around DMACC campus roads and onto a trail going around a lake, and the start and finish were in a massive parking lot. There was a couple gradual ups and downs, nothing crazy, but I wouldn’t consider this course flat either. The map was very clear where the race went and the intersections had some signs but I feel like there could have been a couple people at a couple intersections where the trail forked as it could have been slightly confusing if you didn’t get a look at the map beforehand. Because the race is pretty out in the open and there was a lead bike, I don’t think anyone realistically would make a wrong turn but better to be safe than sorry.
Swag was actually very good. a draw-string bag (albeit cheap), shirt, towel and a couple small other things were given. The t-shirt is above average for race shirts so that was a plus.
And now to the only issue with this race. It is about 0.06 miles too long. This was apparent as the race map even says 3.18 miles and mapping it out gives the same thing. My watch GPS even confirmed it after the race. The funny thing is this race is USATF certified and you can look that up online. What I came to realize is the map we were given and the course that was ran had 1 small change. There are multiple entrances/exits to the parking lot. The USATF map (albeit not very clearly) shows you exit the earliest exit and do a U turn at the start. The race map shows you take the next exit and do a U turn, adding the additional 0.06 miles. As someone who pushed for PR’s every race, it is a little disheartening when you know your time should have been faster by ~20 seconds if the race was mapped correctly. If this was easily realized by myself, the race director should definitely realize this. I hope that they figure that out and change it as that was the only gripe about this event.
Other than that the race overall was great. The competition was decent for the size (~200 ppl, though less than 100 were timed, im guessing a decent amount of people didn’t get a timing chip for whatever reason). I plan on doing this next year despite the long length as it is run so well and there aren’t that many races this late in the year.
One Moore Run
Decent easy small town race
One Moore Run
This is a successor of a small town race that has been going on for many decades in Madrid. It used to be run as a 2/5/15 mile run but … MORE
This is a successor of a small town race that has been going on for many decades in Madrid. It used to be run as a 2/5/15 mile run but is now a 5k. I am very familiar with the area and still live close which is part of the reason why I ran it. The race is strictly on a paved trail that cuts through the town. The route is a simple out and back, extremely flat and extremely straight. There was no race map provided beforehand or at the race itself, but there is no way you could get lost or make a wrong turn as there are no turns so it was not needed. Because the trail was placed over old train tracks, it cuts low through essentially what used to be a forest, with no road intersections as it goes underneath. ~10 feet on each side of the trail is also cleared out so it does not feel tight or that you are running through trees.
Race organization and communication could improve. The 1 mile race (which is essentially a kids run, they should just make that a free shorter kids run as only a dozen people run it) started at 7:30, but the sign up schedule said it was run at the same time as the 5k. A clarifying email was sent out less than 24 hours in advance clarifying the mistake and bringing up all additional details like packet pickup times (morning of). An email should have been sent way more than 24 hours in advance with these details as there was no additional info up until that point. There is no race website, most of their communication including race results are only posted on their facebook page.
Around 60 people ran the 5k race. About half of those were high school kids. Start was fine as the trail and shoulder was flat grass. Turn around was clearly marked. There was no chip times, everything was hand timed which was ok because the race was so small but not ideal. Winners of each category received a ribbon which is pretty useless, take it or leave it. The race length was accurate.
Swag was essentially just a shirt, no complaints. Food at the end was typical bananas, water, ect… no full breakfast. No post race amenities or entertainment, but because of the size and location was not expecting anything less. Parking was right across the street, bathrooms there as well.
This is a very middle of the road race, nothing great, nothing bad. Most unique thing about this race is how extremely flat and straight it is. Expect good times because of that. If you live in the area and want a small town race, I recommend it.
Taste of Hope 5K
Pretty hard city race
Taste of Hope 5K
This race is run by the Lutheran Church of Hope. The church is very large and has many locations throughout central Iowa so I was expecting a larger turnout especially … MORE
This race is run by the Lutheran Church of Hope. The church is very large and has many locations throughout central Iowa so I was expecting a larger turnout especially with it being in the metro area. There was only ~120 people that ran the 5k. The route started in the parking lot and out on sidewalks until the city trail which is paved. The route was out and back, accurate in length, but because the church is on a huge hill, the last half mile of the race is on a large incline before tapering off the last 200 meters. The rest of the course has a couple steep hills where the trail loops under roads. Therefore, the course is very difficult for a 5k distance.
Communication was good and website clearly stated details like packet pickup as well as a course map which is always very much appreciated. Police were present to close off side roads for the first and last half mile you were running on a sidewalk. Volunteers were there at every intersection.
Swag was basically just a shirt, end of race amenities were decent, typical light food/drink at the end, nothing crazy. Top finishers of each category (gender/age) got a medal which is nice. Church was accessible for restrooms, tons of places to park right next to the start/finish.
It was extremely hot, humid and windy the morning of the race, but I never dock anything based on weather as that cannot be controlled. It just added to the difficulty of an already difficult race.
Competition was okay, a couple pretty fast runners then the flow is pretty much as you expect. Little to no walkers.
Will I run this race again? Probably not. Nothing is necessarily bad with this race, but there are tons of 5k’s in the area that I can do this time of year that are not as difficult, offer a better course, and a larger scale.
Clive Running Festival
Meh, course is bad and long
Clive Running Festival
Website gave good info about the details, race course, ect... Finish had decent post race amenities, music, food/drink. Parking and bathrooms were easily accessible and right by the start. Course … MORE
Website gave good info about the details, race course, ect… Finish had decent post race amenities, music, food/drink. Parking and bathrooms were easily accessible and right by the start.
Course starts on a road and quickly turns to a trail which is fairly small for the vast majority of it. Course is fairly flat, only the start is on a decent hill. Because there was around 400 racers it was pretty tight once you got on the trail. The finish was less than 100 meters following a sharp turn into a clearing close to where you started. This is obviously not ideal. They need to change this up for sure, you completely lose any kick you have and don’t see the finish till you pretty much have already crossed it.
But that was not the worst part of the course, it was almost 0.1 miles too long which is a ton for a 5k. Even the course they tracked and had linked on their website show it was long which makes 0 sense as it is an out and back. Just move up the turnaround point as its already on the trail. My gps watch confirmed it was long.
This race is free for employees part of the Des Moines Corporate Games, otherwise I would never run this race again. The event is run just fine but the course length and routing has to be improved. The best thing about this race is there is a decent amount of people so there is good competition and you are always running with someone.