We have missed our “Home Town” race for several years now due to traveling in August, but despite not feeling my best this week I decided early on Saturday morning to sign up. After all, the course is the one I train on nearly every day – that steep hill at the end of Sixth Street is where I do my hill repeats and that quarter-mile over on Leonard is where I do my 400-meter intervals. I know it as intimately as my back yard.
The last time I ran the Twilight 5-K was six years ago in 2018, when I took home a third place trophy in my age group in a time of 32:35. Race Director Derek Taylor and the Rotary Club of Highlands have done a great job of building up the race; this year over 250 runners and walkers signed up and 201 finished. It had been an unsettled day with clouds building up in the west, and two of the weather apps on my phone showed rain at 6:00 p.m., which was the starting time. Thunderstorms are always a problem this time of year for evening races, but the radar showed severe weather on the way, red and orange bands approaching Highlands. Derek seemed pretty relaxed about it, though, despite having to cancel a race a few years ago because of the weather. It was raining lightly when we started, and it picked up throughout the race, but the severe weather never materialized and most of us enjoyed the cooling effect.
I had forgotten how much fun it is to run with so many friends and fellow-runners. Karen was there – I run with her most Saturdays – and she brought a friend. 85-year-old Fred, my inspiration and sometimes running partner, was there, too, and 82-year old Glenda; I have run marathons with both of them. There were plenty of children and walkers – a real community event, although some competitive runners from out of town were also there. I had not been feeling well, as I said – I had even taken a Covid test on Friday because there have been a lot of cases locally. I suppose it was the recent heat and humidity. And getting old. But those are not good excuses; I have run in hotter and more humid and much rainier conditions. But I felt better and better as I went along, my only goal not to stop and walk, and knowing the course so well was an advantage.
Just before we reached the first mile, 16-year-old Timmy McDowell passed us going in the opposite direction, right behind the lead police car. This young man has great potential - I ran the Waynesville Main Street Mile with him two years ago where I think he took first place, as he did tonight, finishing in 18:58. I chatted with other runners and walkers along the way; one group of young women was walking so fast that we were about the same pace. And all along the way, there were words of encouragement from all the Rotary volunteers directing traffic, most of them familiar faces. I crossed the finish line in 46:39, one of my slowest times ever, and I did not place in my age group. But was I disappointed? Did I have a good race?
Of course I did, I reflected, as I sipped a cold IPA under the tent at the finish (always an appreciated plus in a race), talking to Karen and Fred and Glenda and other friends. I had told that group of women
earlier in the race that my Mom would ask me, when I returned from a marathon,
if I had “won.” And of course I had! I had crossed the finish line, as I did tonight - race number 218.
