Willits Classic 5k Race Recap

This past Sunday I raced in the Willits Classic 5k here in Northern California. It's a small town race and had about 120 racers this year. I was excited because it was my first race of the year, but went in with no expectations.

The Race

I arrived early, picked up my packet, and warmed up at the start line. At 10:30am, the race began and we were off. A few girls and guys were in front of me for the first few minutes, but then I began passing them. Soon, I was the leading female runner and there were only four men in front of me.

Realizing that I was a leader, I couldn't let up on my speed. I was running around a 7:50 minute mile and I had to keep going. I pushed the pace the last mile, which was faster than I had been training for, but I kept pushing to get the win!

Sprinting to the finish and claiming 1st female overall!

The race itself was gorgeous. The weather was perfect, 50's at the start, and the course was flat and fast. We ran through country roads with very little traffic and then sprinted to the finish. The post-race feast was delicious! Since it was Valentine's weekend there were plenty of chocolate covered strawberries, cupcakes, fruit and bagels for all. I have never seen such fancy post-race food. It was delicious.

The Finish

I placed first and won overall female, as well as my age group, and fifth overall. I am very happy with how I raced, my attitude on race day and my performance. I felt relaxed during the whole race and it showed in my performance. I have been struggling a little with motivation to race recently and this race seemed to turn that around. I am refreshed and ready to tackle more races this year.

My friend's daughter placed second in her age group - and she's only 4! I can't wait to see her at more races and her future in running!

If you are around the Ukiah or Willits area you should definitely check out one of our small town races throughout the year! They are family friendly, great courses and low entry fees! Win-win!

{Gear Up: Want to know the gear that got me to my win? I'm wearing an Oiselle & Zooma Run Singlet, Nike Running Tights, Nike Fuelband SE, Nike GPS Watch, Nike Running Flyknit Racer and Feetures! socks. Nuun hydrated me to the finish}