Race: Electric Cookie Run
Runner: Rohit E
Race Date: 12/07/2019
Location: Greenlake, Seattle
Results: https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/77302/#resultSetId-183763;perpage:5000
Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/2918520361
3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?
Greenlake is flat and very fast
Cookies were included post-race
It was at 5 pm – which works really well
Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you
There were more participants than I anticipated, and so I started way back and had a very annoying time passing folks early on.
Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?
Course was 2.8 miles, not 5K – I knew a lap of Greenlake was 2.8 but I just assumed the start and finish wouldn’t be at the same point. Anyway, I kept running past the finish up to 5K – they must have been confused about that.
Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?
I placed first in my gender+age group (male/30-39), and was kind of over the moon about this as I’ve never won a race of any size. Also came in 21st out of 400+, so that was fun. To be fair there were a lot of walkers, most people were probably just out for fun, and many people were probably tentative running the lake in the dark, but I know the area really well. Also, technically there was another person that went faster in my gender+age group, but he was also in the top 3 overall, so I think they excluded him from the age group results.
Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner
A headlamp is probably really good. I know the course really well as I run here 2-3 times a week, but the race is at 5 pm in December, so completely dark. Passing people at the start can be tricky, and if you step off the course you might hit a tree root etc. in the grass and have a bad fall.
Lessons you learned that will help you next time around
Start way up front if you’re running this seriously.
Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?
Yes, but you can’t see anything at 5 pm in December.
Difficulty – Is it a tough course?
Not really – extremely flat.
Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?
Ok for a 5K but not really overall – I kinda expected a lot more from Orca Running.
Competition – Is there a strong field?
Probably not – mostly a fun run.
Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.
Easiest to park on Ravenna Boulevard or around Greenlake itself – parking near the Road Runner Sports running store is impossible. Even better, park a little distance away and take the 45 bus or a ride-share.
Lots of restaurants around to get dinner after the race.
Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?
No aid, it was just a 5K
Weather and typical race conditions
December in Seattle can be rainy. It sprinkled very lightly for this race, but was mostly dry. The course can typically have puddles and some muddy sections just off the running path, but was in good condition this time around.
Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?
Headlamps would really help. Blinking lights will help other folks but not really help you.
Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?
Somewhat – the path isn’t wide enough to easily handle all the runners and spectators, but access to the course is easy. On the other hand, it’s a short race, so I don’t know if this is particularly relevant.
How’s the Swag?
The medal has blinky lights that can turn on/off
The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?
3/5 – two points off for not being a proper 5K and for not separating starts for runners and walkers (or at least communicating verbally that runners should go up front) on a path that isn’t quite wide enough for 400 people all at once.