The 5 K race had over a thousand people it seemed to me and I may have even heard that figure at some point. It was a big mass of humanity at the beginning and took me a while after the starting horn blew to even get to the starting line. It was pretty crowded at first but started to thin out as those who were actually running or jogging the race moved ahead of the bulk of the people who were walking it.

I set out at what I estimated to be the pace I could maintain until the end. Many people were passing me, I was passing some. At about the half mile mark I passed a girl on crutches and after that the number of people I was passing slowed down. I’m not making that up — a twentysomething girl was doing it on crutches and while I never noticed if she finished, she was chugging away with the heart of a champion and I suspect she did. She was passing people.

The race went out on streets but at the halfway point turned back on a path along the Allegheny River. When I got past PNC Park(Pirates) and was heading for the finish line at Heinz field (Steelers), I knew it was only a few hundred yards more so I tried to jog but wasn’t very successful at that. I could shuffle for about 10-20 yards at a crack and then have to drop back to walking, so alternated until the finish line. Unofficially, looking at the finish clock, I made the 5K (3 miles) in 50:10, well short of the overall winning time of 15:04. That time was by a supporter, and I missed how fast the winning organ recipient’s time was.

I did get the older classes times for recipients as they were giving the medals on the spot. If I had been in the womens over 70 class I would have won. The winner was over 60 minutes, around 1:03 or so. She gave the key to your winning success, “You don’t have to be fast to win, you just have to be old.”

If I had been in the over 70 men, I would have taken the bronze metal as his time was over 54 minutes. Surprisingly, the winner in over 70 transplanted men was around 25 minutes, which would have also won the gold in the 60-69 mens class.

The top time in 50-59 men was 23:07, with the other medalists not far behind. They were posting lists on the wall as people finished with times and some breakdown information. The last one I saw was about to the middle 40 minutes mark and 22 guys had already finished in my 50-59 mens class. I will have to check back later to see where I actually placed. My best hope is at least be in the top 50% but that could be iffy.

After my post walk stretch and hydrating, I went back to the finish line to watch. They were already tearing down the barriers and breaking things down when the person I think was the last finisher crossed the line. She was probably over 60 and leaning on someone who may have been her son. She was smiling. I don’t know her story but bet that for her that was the equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest or something.

Too many sights to write about, like a 3 year old girl walking pulling her father along by his hand with an arrow on her T shirt pointing down below the caption, “Mommy’s kidney”.

I was feeling a lot of camaraderie, but the post race free meal was spaghetti with meat balls served in a hinged styrofoam container, and since I no longer live on muscle transplants I passed up that opportunity and drove the hour and a half home. After I took a nap it was off to the temple for the Sunday feast where I could bring my own reusable metal dishes and eat a nice vegetarian meal.

Tomorrow I am back to Pittsburgh for an 800 meter ( half mile) race that is sure to be embarrassing but my false ego is massive and can handle it so fools rush in…