Race Date: Sunday 11th September 2022

Race Report by Caroline Brock

Our planned trip to San Diego to visit my in-laws was originally meant to be in 2019 but a fall at the Exterminator race and subsequent surgery to fix my broken arm meant we had to postpone it to 2020. Needless to say it ended up being a 3 year delay. I was extra careful this year to try and prevent any accidents!

We safely made it over to California and I was keen to try and do a race whilst we were there. The pickings were slim but there was a 5k and 10k on offer at the Aloha run! It sounded fun and 5k was appealing due to how hot it was potentially going to be. I think it ended up being about 24 degrees on race morning so I was relieved after the hotter temps from earlier in the week. This race would be nothing compared to the heat of Bradwell Fell Race! The first week we were there I felt like I had lead in my legs, the jet lag plus the heat was hard work, but after 10 days and temperatures cooling I was finally feeling like my legs had remembered what running was and I was looking forward to seeing what the race was like.

The race was at Mission Bay on a cycle/walking path. We had driven past the start/finish area the day before and I’d noticed the portaloo’s – there didn’t seem to be many at all and I had visions of long queues. But apparently it is just the Brits that like to queue and visit the toilet 5 times before a race as there was never anyone waiting for the loo, a very strange experience!

The rest of the event was really well organised and the announcer/warm up guy was very entertaining. The 10k runners and walkers set off at 7am with the 5k at 8am. The national anthem was sung live by a young girl and we were off. The first section was on grass from the start field to filter you on to the main path, then it was an out and back, running around a tree at halfway. The paths were a bit twisty and the way back was like wacky races, trying to avoid knocking anyone out coming the other way and also passing some of the 10k runners who were on the same route. It made for an entertaining return and I received lots of encouragement! I was 3rd place at halfway and catching the man in 2nd but I passed him too early and before the finish he sprinted off ahead of me! I was really pleased with my time and was grateful to this mystery man for the competition.

The atmosphere at the end was really fun with a band playing and lots of freebies up for grabs, so much that I couldn’t carry it all. For the price of the race (around $45) you needed to grab as much as you could. I am relieved I don’t have to pay that much for each race I enter over here! But holiday money doesn’t really count does it?

We wondered if there were any prizes on offer and then spotted a sign that said awards were at 9am so we waited around. We soon discovered that prize presentations weren’t really a thing like they are over here as people seemed to be queuing at a desk for their 10k prizes. As soon as the results sheets appeared for the 5k it was a mad scramble to get in line for the winners medals! They were very generous with the medals and there were lots of age categories with 1st to 3rd in each. I think I’d rather have a beer than another medal but it’s nice to have the memento from the day!

669 runners took part in the Aloha 5k. Winner of the men’s race was Brandon Guevara (no club info available) in a time of 0:16:08, and the women’s race (and 3rd place overall) was won by our own Caroline Brock, in a time of 0:18:25. Well done Caroline!

Striders Results