Race Review: Sandy Point 5km

The first fun run I ever entered as an adult was the 5.2km Run for the Kids event back in April 2012.

Having done plenty of other events at varying distances, for some reason I have never gone back to the 5k.

When I was asked to review a pair of shoes.  I took the opportunity to enter a race.  There is nothing like a race to motivate you to really go out hard.  A race is also the perfect place to see how a pair of shoes is going to hold up.

The race I decided to enter was the Start to Finish event Sandy Point by health.com.au.  I had initially had my heart set on a local event, but it got canceled due to a lack of interest.

The Sandy Point event worked to be a good alternative. I chose the 5km distance, but there was also a 10km course as well as a half marathon.  Let me tell you now I’m seriously contemplating doing the half marathon next year, as the course is flat, which means fast.

Starting at the Peter Scullin Reserve at Mordialloc, the course takes you along Beach Road.  It was overcast but mild, which is ideal for a run. Don’t however expect a scenic run.  Just because it’s flat, doesn’t mean there is going to be an interesting view.

I however was not there for the view.  I was there to run.

The 10km distance was off first, then followed by the half marathon and last but not least my distance was the 5km run/walk.

According to the website, there were paces for the 5km distance with time goals of 25, 30 & 35.  I know that I can run 5km easily in 25 minutes, so I decided to place myself at the front of the pack.

There were plenty of under 15-year-olds at the front too.  This was concerning to the MC who even stated to the kids, that there were some fast adults behind them, and they should seriously consider moving. I thought, well if they go out too hard at the start they are going to burn out and get overtaken anyway.

The track was wide so there was plenty of room to move around if required.

At 8:15 the gun went bang and we were off.  I kept at a pace I felt comfortable at.

I went into this run with no expectations.  I wasn’t there to get a new PB, but if I got one then that would be an added bonus.

The course had clear kilometre markers. Seeing the Roller Coaster / 2 Bays Marathon truck around the 2km mark made me happy.  It was good to recognise that there was someone I knew helping out with the course.

A lot of long-distance runners tend to not like going back to 5km events because they are over and done with so quickly.  While short, they are a great benchmarks for speed, and like they say “If you want to run faster, you got to run faster”. The 5km distance can really help to improve your speed for longer events, so don’t discount it because it’s ‘only’ 5km.

The other advantage of the 5km distance is that you don’t feel utterly exhausted and spent at the end of it, and you can enjoy the rest of your day with family or friends.

I crossed the finish line in a time of 22:02.

It wasn’t a pb, but it’s still a damn fine time.

I didn’t stick around for presentations.  I wanted to get back to my parent’s house to spend some time with them before travelling back home to Stawell.

The biggest shock for me wasn’t until I got home to view my details online. I placed 3rd in the females (6th if you include the under 15’s).  I was first in my age division (30-39), and overall I was the 30th runner to cross the line. This I wasn’t expecting, but it made my day, to say the least.

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When was the last time you entered a 5km race?
What’s your 5km personal best?
What’s your favourite race distance?