| Wsl |
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So, the Pike's Peak 10K here in Silver Spring MD is a downhill blast and every single runner here claims it as a PR... all the Georgetown Running Club guys, all the Striders, all the Pacers, everyone. Might as well verify that 10K in El Paso to be the WR. I don't feel bad for them, though, many are hard-working chaps in DC so they take any PR they can take, but come on, man, look the the course profile!! In most other states, the race would be a joke. |
| Jefferson Acura |
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Yeah, I looked at that course profile, its close to 200 feet net drop, and it looks like pretty consistent, gentle downhill. That said, the reason it isn't a joke is because they offer $1000 to the winner, down to $300 for 10th. Thats a lot of money for a local road race. |
| darkwave |
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It was actually in Rockville, not Silver Spring. And yes, I ran it. Ran a minute faster than my 10K PR from 2 months ago. And no, I'm NOT counting it :) |
| Elaine |
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I've never run it because it is such a bogus course. And I will also chastise you for saying it is in Silver Spring. How you could confuse that with the Rockville Pike, I have no idea. |
| Renako Kanoto |
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Course very good, very fast, nice following wind. All runners should be able to break the world record in next race, maybe Rotterdam 10k. |
| keeponrollin |
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Who cares. Its the fastest time they've run for a distance, its a pr. PRs don't have to be held to the same standards at WR or ARs. Do you count indoor races? There is no wind. Do you count banked track prs? Theres an advantage there. |
| darkwave |
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I guess that ultimately, it's up to the individual -- that's why they call them "personal" records. For myself, I'll absolutely count a PR on a super flat fast course like Haines Point. And I'd count it on a net downhill course if there were other factors, like hills. If I ran Boston, I'd unquestionably count it (and I do count my PR from the Richmond half - I think the hills in the middle make up for the downhill at the end But races like St. George and Pikes Peek and Broad Street are unquestionably *assisted*. Like I said, I ran over a minute faster than my previous PR from 2 months ago, despite blowing up spectacularly. Having run Pikes Peek, I can now say that I don't feel comfortable counting it as one of my own PRs (I might have felt differently if we had had 80 degree weather...) But again, up to the individual. |
| asdfasdf |
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Slacker Half Marathon from the Eisenhower Tunnel to Georgetown, Colorado. Drops about 3000 feet-from 11K to 8K. Even with the altitude, it's a great place to PR-or qualify for NYCM if you're a pu$$y. But your legs will hurt for a week. |
| why would you want that PR? |
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I don't know why anyone would call such a time a PR. Once you've declared your downhill time to be a PR, you've pretty much ensured that you will never PR again. Why would you put yourself in a situation where you'll end up running way off your PR in every other race you run for the rest of your life? |
| Ywo |
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Look at all the "PR's" listed, http://georgetownrunningcompany.blogspot.com/ |
| yogibear |
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I've always wanted to establish a race on the night of the fall daylight savings time change. A 5k that would start at 1:45 AM. During the race, at 2AM, all the clocks get set back 1 hour. A 25 minute 5Ker would start at 1:45 and finish at 1:10. They would finish the race 35 minutes before they started it for a net time of -35 minutes. I would call it the Turn Back Time 5k. |
| darkwave |
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Already done. http://anythingispossible5k.com/ |
| D-Train |
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I really wanted to run this race since I live in DC but it was impossible since it started at 8:00 am, I don't have a car, and Metro couldn't get me there in time for a proper warm-up. I'm actually glad that I didn't run it knowing what I know about the course. It would have given false hope to a hobby jogger like me. |
| dem o's are hot |
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One of the Baltimore teams hits up the downhill trifecta every year: 1. Kelly's Shamrock 5k in Baltimore (the first mile is like falling off a cliff) 2. Westminster mile (if you run in the 4:20s on the track you have a good chance of breaking 4:00) 3. Pike's Peak 10k (already described above) And I'm sure a good group of them also go to Broad Street. |
| dhaaga |
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I was a course marshal in this race yesterday but have run it many times. It's fast for sure, but I think people are exaggerating the downhill aspect a bit. It drops about 100 feet in first 6 miles -- 17 feet per mile, or 1/3 of 1%. Does that make such a huge difference? There are a few modest uphills in there. Then you fall off a cliff in final 400 meters or so -- my sense was I gained maybe 10-12 seconds in that last bit, relative to a normal road 10k. Three other factors to note: 1. there is one 90-degree turn in first mile, and then it's a straight shot. I think this makes a big difference over those convoluted neighborhood loop races with a million turns so you can avoid closing major roads. 2. I believe it was a light tailwind yesterday. The years in which it's been a headwind, it's not particularly fast. 3. Excellent competition in all age groups. All told, averaged across headwind and tailwind years, I think it's about the same as a track 10,000, i.e., faster than other road 10k's in our area but not so absurdly fast as to make all PRs meaningless etc. My PR is from Pike's Peek but only 3 seconds. --Dave Haaga |
| Ryan McGrath |
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1. It's Pike's PEEK, not Pike's Peak. One letter, big difference. If you're a local and getting that wrong, wake up. 2. Silver Spring? C'mon, man. 3. Why wouldn't you claim it as a PR? You are covering 10,000 meters. It's a legitimate course. It's not like it's entirely downhill, you've run it - you know it also goes up. That said, it IS definitely a PR course, but the fact is, how many other 10k races are that big? It's fast because it's competitive. Karl was 13th with a 30:05. The guy's broken 30 before for 10k on the track. This year's conditions were nice, some years not-so-nice. 2011 had the benefit of a huge tailwind, so the times were very quick. Dave Berdan, owner of a 29:36 track 10k, ran 29:30 at Pike's last year. Like "keeponrollin" said, "PRs" don't have to be held to the same standard as American or World Records. You don't want to call it your PR, don't. For "darkwave" - you feel comfortable calling a race on Heinous Point your PR, but if it had been in the 80s at Pike's Peek maybe you'd feel different? Are you also against the death penalty, unless he absolutely killed that person? I also don't understand the need to call out the GRC guys, if you know them, and what they're about, they are the real deal. Guys (and girls) that work hard, run fast. Are you not going to count Sam Luff's 29:37 10k at Penn last week because it was at Penn, where other people were going with the intent to run fast? Living in Baltimore, the reason we do some of these races is two-fold: First, because they are fast. We know it, and it's fun. Second, because where else are we going to run? Should we not do Shamrock 5k because it's probably 7 seconds faster than a track 5k? It's our home race. Westminster Mile - for the record, if you run in the 4:20s you are absolutely not breaking 4 minutes - is just a fun race. Pike's Peek is the fastest, not to mention only competitive 10k in the area. Broad Street, for what it's worth, is a flat course. Yeah, it's another net downhill race, but you are going up and down in the first half and then it flattens out. Once again, fast by virtue of competition, time of year, no turns. Are you NOT going to go do a race because it's fast? That's stupid. Re: Westminster Main St Mile. Winner this year was 3:59.4. He's run 4:06 for the mile. 2nd was 4:00, he's run 4:12. We expect it to be a 10-13 second difference in track mile time by virtue of the 144 foot drop. This year's course conditions were slick on account of the rain, I do believe winner could have gone closer to 3:56. Dave Haaga is also the real deal, so what he says, I'd listen to. Anonymous posting is lame, so is posting of any kind, but I was forwarded this link and felt compelled to throw in my two cents. I've included my name and email, you are welcome to reach out to me individually if you have a comment or concern. |