Went to Richmond this weekend. Got to hang out with two lovely ladies. Ate some AMAZING fried chicken and grits (that's right, grits). Watched some GC. Sat in the same seat as Jason Mraz.
Oh, and ran the third largest 10K in the nation! The Ukrop Monument Avenue 10K takes place every year, and it's been rated one of the best races in the country (according to USA Today). I'd totally agree with that assessment. There were more than 40,000 runners, but I've never seen such an efficient race. Ever. In my life. Everyone started in waves, the race started on time, and it was smooth sailing all the way through to the finish! There were bands all along the course, and, as the name of the race suggests, tons of monuments to gawk at as we ran. They had great aid stations (maybe even too many, if you ask me), great volunteers, and sweet swag bags! The t-shirts left something to be desired (cotton...and pretty ugly). The post-race food was pretty standard (a la bananas and Powerade), but they also handed out the famous Ukrop White House rolls. They were indeed, life-changing.
Should you decide to run this race in the future, be advised: parking is insane, which makes sense with 40,000 people flocking to the start line. Because I stayed and ran with native Richmond-ers, I had the inside track to where to park, how to get there, and the best escape route. Traffic was super backed up, but we circumvented it all. I would have been right there in the thick traffic, cursing my horrible luck if I'd been on my own. So ask around, look up routes, and be prepared to be creative with parking. I think they have shuttles, but I'm not sure.
For another race review, check out Runner's World! They were totally there on Saturday!
