Friday, May 4, 2012

Fast 5Ks: Haggen to Haggen Preview

The 3rd of 4 featured Fast 5ks throughout the state gets underway tomorrow at the Haggen to Haggen 5k in Bellingham. Expecting more than 1300 runners and walkers, a bit of sunshine and an annually competitive field, the race is ready for its first year with chip timing. Known for its serpent-like and primarily downhill course, the race is a mainstay on the Bellingham racing calendar and nets most runners a fast result.

The 5k starts tomorrow morning at the Sehome Village Haggen(8:00 for walkers and 8:30 for runners) and blasts down a few hills before weaving its way through downtown Bellingham and then climbing a little bit over the last mile to finish at the Meridian Haggen. As far as point to point courses go, the Haggen to Haggen course is exceptional as it connects a few different neighborhoods, highlights downtown-if you can slow down enough to enjoy it and brings the whole community together for a fun event.

“Haggen has always done a great job of having this race be a community event. They make the finish a big parking lot party with some great local vendors and great handouts. Having both walkers and runners participate on a net downhill course creates for a fun course and a fast time too,” remarked Derek Thornton, Race Co-Director, who along with Audra Ramerman started meetings about this year’s race in January.
Assisted by over 100 volunteers and a strong relationship between the Greater Bellingham Running Club and the Haggen Food & Pharmacy team, the race has a unique approach in getting everything ready for a successful race day. Haggen handles everything that gets the runners/walkers to the starting line and everything after race, while Thornton, Ramerman and the GBRC are responsible for everything that pertains to the race itself.
“The GBRC-Haggen relationship creates a level of trust so that we can take care of our parts and they take care of theirs and on race day it all comes together smoothly,” added Thorton.
With Haggen handling the post race activities, you bet there is plenty of food and drink to enjoy once you’ve conquered the course. Though some come for the community aspect of the race or the post race buffet, many come for the fast time that come with a net downhill course. With fast times come competition and being the eclectic city that Bellingham is, you never know who will show up locally or who will just show up from out town and throw down.
R.B. Wick of Bellingham, who is a very talented runner and a veteran of countless road races, enjoys the Haggen to Haggen 5k because it gives him training focus for a local event, it is a super fast course and the competition is always deep. When asked about who he though the class of the field was this year, he pointed to a local kid, the very young and promising runner Patrick Gibson of Squalicum High School in Bellingham. Last year Gibson was 3rd in 15:09, just missing the win by a few seconds.

“Patrick is young and he was close last year. His is in the prime of his season right now, so I would expect him to take the Blue Ribbon,” said Wick, about the 17 year old Gibson who ran a 4:18.40 for a mile a few weeks ago.

Wick, who has run several Haggen to Haggen 5ks, has been hampered by some injuries as of late and is looking forward to a solid race tomorrow and would like to run below 16:22. With injuries backing him off of his early 2012 goals of running under 16:00 and being in the mix, he is happy to be racing this weekend and will be sure to enjoy all the free food and goodies at the post race party.

Having “kinda” raced 8 Haggen to Haggen 5ks myself, I would recommend that veterans and newcomers alike be conservative and save a little for the last mile. It is very easy to get carried away in the first 2 miles, but you will pay the price in the end if you are not wise. In 2004, I was not wise, I went for it big time and tried to take on local running legend Sam Alexander and ended up practically walking the last part of the race after coming through the 2 mile mark way too fast.  

The 2004 debacle was my “kinda” finished year and very humbling, but I've returned 4 more time since then to enjoyed the race more and more each year. Especially, after I learned to race a little smarter.

Though online registration is closed, race day registration opens at 7:00 am at the Sehome Village Haggen parking lot near REI. There will also be shuttle bus services from 9:00-10:45am that will return runners and walkers to Sehome Village after the race. Online results can be found over the weekend at the GBRC site after the race, click here.

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