Race Report: Memphis Soul 5K BBQ run

This past Sunday was the Memphis Soul 5K BBQ run presented by Marathon Sports.  It takes the runner through the Somerville starting and ending in Davis square.  I headed down mid-day on Saturday to grab my shirt and bib and get a lay of the land for the next day.

Parking was a breeze (this time) and the air already smelled like BBQ thanks to Redbones on the a block away from where I parked by car. I headed over to The Burren and grabbed a shirt and my bib.  It's a pretty big Irish pub with standard pub grub and some good beers on tap.  I couldn't grab one now but hopefully tomorrow post race.

Sunday the race didn't start until 11 which was a little late but made for a leisurely morning.  About 10AM we headed over to Davis Square to make sure we had plenty of time to find parking and get settled.  I was lucky and found the last spot over near the square it was a tight fit (see Austin Powers in his golf cart, back, forth, back, forth) but it meant avoiding a longer walk to and from the start.  About 45 minutes from the start of the race and it was starting to fill up.  Being a Memphis themed race and prizes for the first Elvis and Elvisettes that cross the line I thought there would be more people in costume but they were a weren't too many but I did manage to find a couple.

I hoped the late start wouldn't result in hotter race time temps and it turned out to be warm but not too bad.  As the race started it made it way out toward Cambridge up a slight incline.  The road wasn't totally closed so there were cars waiting to come the other way taking in the sight of all these runners making them wait.  Just short of mile 1 the course did a U-turn and started it's way back on a parallel street towards Davis, and the elevation starting to drop again.  Down powder house boulevard the elevation bottomed out and started to climb again much faster than before as we headed out past David towards Boston for another half mile before turning back down the Minuteman bike path towards the finish.  About this time I was ready for the downhill and to kick it into high gear. 


Just before 11:30 I crossed the finish line with a new PR of 28:41 the first time I broke the 30 minute barrier.  This race also allows you to enter in classes by weight which I though setting a new PR would maybe get me near the podium but alas it wasn't to be there are some other big guys who were faster.   I'll have to train harder for the big man challenge.  I made my way to the exit and grabbed by newest medal (if you don't have one with a turquoise pig on it you're doing it wrong), and headed towards the post race celebration of BBQ and beer. 

Best...Medal...Ever

I think we'll be doing this one again next year and hopefully bringing a crew with us!

28:41 a 9:14 Pace

Overall: 308 out of 778 Division: 80 out of 119  Open Cydesdales Division: 6 out of 14