As professional runners, I'm surprised at just how slow these times are.
Am thinking you are not familiar with the course. Yes?
There are a couple of moderate hills and has a net elevation loss of about 40m. The men's winner was here barely running faster than men's marathon (42k) wr and the women were even slower. This course isn't that tough
Every year, the Great cow Harbor race publishes their 68 page newspaper with articles on the top runners, history, sponsors, the streaks, and more. Fantastic work. All the local businesses advertise in it.
Other than the Shelter Island 10k, I haven't done other "national" races, but what other race puts out such an extensive publication for their race? Year in, year out it is a great read. Lastly, it seems to be authored by one person. Kudos to him!
Am thinking you are not familiar with the course. Yes?
There are a couple of moderate hills and has a net elevation loss of about 40m. The men's winner was here barely running faster than men's marathon (42k) wr and the women were even slower. This course isn't that tough
It’s easily a minute slower than the track. Heck, even pancake-flat courses are slower than the track. Then consider the weather and the fact that nobody is training for the 10k right now (and likely training through this race), and the times make sense. These races are often run conservatively in the early miles as well. If you look at major US road races at sub-marathon distances, going all the way back to the 1970s, nobody is ever within spitting distance of their track PRs.
From personal experience, there’s no comparison between the pace you can run on a windless, 50 degree night, under the lights in California, after a season of fast intervals, and the pace you run for the same distance in on a humid September morning, on rolling roads, with mostly marathon training in the legs. Even if you’re in great marathon shape.