Featured Running Event of the Week - Rolex 5k of Daytona

A rarity - a running rerun on this page.

Since this past weekend was the Rolex 24 Hour Race in Daytona, which I did not attend - here is a flashback of the Rolex 5k at Daytona :

Ever hear of the Rolex 24 at Daytona?  It's a 24-hour sports car race at Daytona International Speedway, utilizing the infield road course and the famous high banks.  Yes - they really go for 24 straight hours (with driver changes and pitstops, of course).

Well, this is the Rolex 5k at Daytona - though I think it's technically called the Daytona International Speedway 5k Run and 2.5 Mile Fun Walk.  But my unofficial name sounds more prestigious. 

This event takes place the morning of that famous sports car race.  The cars, various divisions, take to the track as early at 9:00am.  The 5k steps off at 7:00am.  The 2.5 mile walk steps off at 7:05 and does not include the infield.

The 5k course begins at the start line on pit road, traverses the majority of the infield road course, then the entire oval, finishing just past the finish line on pit road - for 3.1 miles. 

So, what can be more “cool” for a sports car fan, but a chance to RACE (yes, a 5k is a race) on the same exact track as their heroes?  Putting their footsteps in the same tire tracks as Scott Pruett, Jaoa Barbosa, Ryan Dalziel, Patrick Dempsey, Jim Jonsin, Erik Valdez, Hurley Hayward, Andy Lally, Paul Newman, Craig T. Nelson, Wayne, Jordan and Ricky Taylor, and Max The Axe (and so many others)!!!  So, technically, all of the 5k runners can honestly say that they RACED at Daytona International Speedway!!   Runners get to lay rubber (from their shoes) only hours before drivers lay rubber (from their tires)!!  (on a personal note, this is my favorite 5k of the entire year - for that very reason). 

There are so many cool aspects of this race, so I’m going to switch to my infamous list-format :

• Runners getting to lay down rubber on the same track as their sports car heroes
• Being able to honestly say "I raced at Daytona!"
• With a 7:00am start - the wonderful site of the sun rising in Florida
• The smell of morning campfires
• The smell of bacon cooking - seriously, you could smell it on the track
• Running past cheering fans - some already in the grandstands, some in the infield
• Starting/Finishing at the famous Daytona start/finish line
• Hanging with people with similar interests (racing AND running) before and after
• Running past scenic Lake Lloyd with the carnival set up in the background
• Awards ceremony on the same stage that houses so many live racing shows

In addition to all of the above - the race entry fee also grants the runners 2-day pass for the sports car race!!! 

Definitely a dream come true for any sports car fan who is also a runner.  Now, maybe some thought it was odd that I made “vroom” noises as I passed people, but isn’t that what it sounds like during the Rolex 24??

If you are a sports car fan - I recommend attending the Rolex 24 at Daytona AND running in the Rolex 5k at Daytona!!!

VROOOM