39th Annual Great Pumpkin 5K Race Recap

I'm pretty late in posting this race review, but here's my review of the Great Pumpkin 5K Race I ran on October 28th.

This was my first time running this long-standing local race as there are just so many Fall races to choose from. The race is hosted by a local running club, The Rock Hill Striders, and all proceeds are given to a local food pantry,  Pilgrim's Inn. In addition to the 5K, there is a 1 mile fun run for the kids that is free.

There was not a lot of communication prior to the race, mainly because I believe mostly locals run this year after year so most runners already know the drill. I did ask a question of the RD prior to the race via email and got an answer almost immediately. I registered for the 5K and my little one did the 1 miler which I did it with her also as they were scheduled 45 min apart.

There was no pre-race packet pick up - all packets were to be picked up day of. The packet came with bib and cotton long sleeved shirt. The shirts ran large and the race had no problem switching my M for a S at pick up.

This race started on the campus of Winthrop University and therefore has pretty great parking access. It had a fairly late start time, 9 am, but with the Fall temps, the weather was pretty nice. The university is about 3 miles from my house, so it was a pretty quick trip to the site and easy parking. The race is fairly small, a couple of hundred participants, so I was able to find some of my local running buddies for some pictures pre-race. The start is near the former student center, which is now offices, and the building was open for races to use the bathrooms.

The course was a pretty nice one and one I run quite often, as I live very close by - starting just down from Dinkins Building, up Myrtle Drive, around the Winthrop Coliseum and back down Myrtle back to near where the start was. The course is officially certified with a couple hills, but not too many. Pretty easy terrain.

I had a pretty rough October, having to take a week off any kind of training due to having a wisdom tooth extraction a week and half prior, so it was not my best race ever. I was a full minute slower than my previous 5K, and tried to view it as a fun, easy local race for a good cause and not as a competitive one. As long as I get in under 30 min, I'm fairly happy and I did.

The kid's 1 mile started at 9:45 and ran straight down Charlotte Ave. for .5 mile and back. It was very informal, no registration or bibs, but the kids are really just interested in the running, so that works. There was a race volunteer at the turn around point cheer on the kids. The kids ran through the same finish area as the 5K and were each given a pumpkin shaped flashlight  which my daughter adores.

After the race, there was a lot of food options including bagels, fruit, chips, baked goods and even Halloween candy (how my daughter was able to eat candy corn immediately after running, I'll never know, but I passed on that). There were also several race sponsors and area groups with tables set up for a mini-finish-area festival giving out the standard stuff like pens, cozies and so on.

Awards were given out for Age Group winners which is fun to watch as the prizes consist of a variety of pumpkin shaped items that you can choose what you want as your award is called. I had a few friends that placed so I stuck around to cheer them on.

Overall, a great local, low key race that depending on what else is going on the same weekend next year, I will more than likely run again.