Monday's Featured 5k of the Week - Beecher's Freedom 5k

The Freedom 5k takes place in conjunction with the annual Beecher 4^th of July Carnival.  This year, due to all of the recent rain, the carnival was set up on the street – which is usually the very beginning of the 5k.  The 5k committee did an excellent job dealing with this and create a new route for the 5k.  The route was quite similar but obviously had to change since the rides were blocking a major portion of the route.  Though, it might have been kind of cool to let the runners, at the start, just head into the carnival and navigate the rides – ha!

Speaking of the 5k committee, once again a very organized event, PLENTY of volunteers to assist with parking challenges (again, due to the wet grounds and rides relocation), and to direct people to packet pickup/registration.  And, PLENTY of enthusiastic volunteers along the course, as the course has at least 2 there-and-back sections and many many turns.  Volunteers were everywhere making sure nobody got lost and they were all enthusiastic.  The volunteers not only directed but complimented and motivated the runners – they were just as involved as the runners themselves!  Very nice to see! 

The volunteers/organizers were great post-race too, having the awards ceremony in a timely manner following the last participants crossing the line, times were posted quickly, and the awards were announced quickly.

The course itself was almost entirely residential this year, but normally starts off directly through the downtown business district before going residential.  The reroute changed that a bit.  Runners immediately start off going uphill gradually then turn to continue an uphill climb.  The hills are deceiving and not very steep.  According to a runner with one of those fancy running-GPS devices, the route consists of a 75 foot incline.  Obviously not all 75 are at once, usually 10-20 feet at a time, and always gradual.  Then some downhill, then back uphill.  It seemed the course is always going up or down hill – but only flat across one parking lot.  There are several turns, somewhere between 15 and 20.  The turns keep the route interesting, there are a few long straightaways, but not many, and the turns keep the scenery ever changing.  The course winds through older and newer neighborhoods and even through a parking lot (with no cars – but with speed bumps).  The most notable characteristic of the course though are the deceptive hills, they are not easily seen by the eyes, but are certainly noticed by the body.  Also, since this is an older town, the streets are lined with trees, keeping runners shaded almost the entire route, which on hot day is certainly a positive.

Of course, another unique aspect is the pre-race when runners have a chance to leisurely stroll through a carnival, before it opens.  A kind of magical and mystical experience.