On my first celebration of Father's Day, I went down to the ZERO Prostate Cancer Run (Capital Area) for a fun run and to support a great cause. I missed this race last year while hiking out west, and was happy to get back on the starting line. The course is a simple four-mile out and back, with an optional tie-a-tie transition area after the first mile. This is really my only "fun run" where timing isn't everything; so I opted to pull over after a mile and put on a necktie. According to the results, I got into the transition area, tied (poorly) a Windsor knot, and rolled back out onto the course in 23 seconds. The final three miles were pretty hilly and humid, but I had a good finishing kick and placed 14th overall, even having time to stop for a few seconds and mug for the camera before the finish line.| The Results |
4 mi : 26:01 | 6:31/mile | 0:23 tie transition (detour to a side parking lot, tie the knot, exit area)
Placing: 14th overall; 3rd overall tie-wearer
Even with a 23-second stop, I still ended up with a pretty good overall finish considering the five places above me didn't stop to put on a necktie. In past races they've had "tie-wearing" division awards, but not this year. I can still tell from the results that I was the #3 overall tie-wearer, so that's fun to be able to say. Taking off the tie transition, my actual running pace was 6:25/mi, which is about what I would expect on this course.
The Swag |
Received a nice technical shirt for participating in the race, and picked a prostate cancer awareness bracelet at the pre-race mini expo. They had a good finishing area with sports drink, several granola bar options, pizza, smoothie samples, and chips with salsa. Additionally, for stopping in the tie transition, I also received a plastic ZERO tumbler.
| The Race Pictures |
 Mini expo at starting line. |  Survivor and hero shirts. |  Coming off the start, 0.5 mi. |
|---|---|---|
 Leading a pack up a hill. |  Tacky ties at mile 1.0! |  Coming down the final stretch. |
 Coming up on the finish. |  Crossing the line. |  Post-race pizza and chips. |
 Smoothie samples and tumblers. |  What a classy knot. I didn't pick the tie. |  Daughter and I with my 2011 ZERO mug. |
All in-race pictures purchased courtesy of Swim Bike Run Photography.
