Grand Prix of Running 5K on St Patrick’s Day

Grand Prix of Running 5K on St Patrick’s Day will always be a special race for me. It was my very first distance race and I ran it in 2007. I have to specify distance because growing up I ran track and participated in countless races under 400 meters (anything further was just stupid, or so I thought!)

This is the 28th running of one of Colorado Springs oldest races and fits in with the second oldest parade in our community. The 5K on St. Patrick's Day kicks off the start of the running season for runners in the Springs. For most of the races, the weather has been quite marvelous, with just enough of a nip in the air. The 5K is one of the fastest 5K's in Colorado Springs and will be run on Tejon Street, starting and ending at Acacia Park. Come on Down(town)!!

Making a Splash for Uncle Wilber!

The Leprechaun Fun Run is a fundraiser for the Uncle Wilber Fountain in Acacia Park. In 2001, the fountain was given as a gift to the citizens of the Pikes Peak Region. However, the maintenance and operation costs are publicly supported. The proceeds of the Leprechaun Fun Run will go to this effort.

The colorful fountain has entertained thousands of kids (and adults too!) with its whimsical music, colored lights, and unpredictable streams of water. The fountain is open daily in the summertime from Noon to 6 pm. Bring a towel and join the fun on a hot summer afternoon!

Goodie Bag: A t-shirt, race bib and some ads in a paper bag. They have done better!

Start Line: This race takes place right in downtown Colorado Springs. I admit, Colorado Springs is not a big city, it is a small city and downtown is even smaller. And it happens right before the parade which could make things really interesting! Every year the start area is set up very well. There is no question where the start line is. There could be more porta potties, but I don’t think any race could ever have enough! This year they actually had a starting mat so I think people were a little more relaxed when it came to starting the race.

Course: This is the second Colorado race I get to say was flat! It wasn’t quite an out and back, but pretty close. Maybe a big misshapen ‘I’ would be a little more accurate. The course goes by two of the local running stores (one of them being on the top of my list, the other I don’t really go to). Then it is nice smooth sailing to the finish line.

Course Support: There are no water stops, but this is only a 5K so are they really needed? I don’t think so since it isn’t a hard course nor is it in the summer. The volunteers – wonderful! They were friendly, they were cheering everyone on, they were great! The cops also did a great job, I realize they are paid to be there, but just because you are paid to be somewhere doesn’t mean much.

Finish Line: It seems every year or so it moves! I think this is the second year it was located on the straight away instead of around the corner (I like it on the straight away!). After the finish line, around the corner was a table with water cups and then in the main area of the park were the

Overall: I personally treated this race as a training run. I enjoyed running with over 2,000 of my closest friends! To me this is a good start of the season race it helps give me an idea where my training is at and what I need to do to get it to where I want it to be.