I've been doing the Beaufort Road Race in my hometown since my first in 1997. Technically this year was only the 41st running as the 39th running was in 2018 and the 40th was in 2019. 2020 would have been the 41st running but it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The race organizers still called this the 42nd Annual due to it being 42 years since the beginning of it. I've ran the 5K twelve times from 1997-2006, 2018, and 2019. I've ran the 10K eight times from 2007-2010 and 2013-2016, winning it in 2014. I've ran the mile three times; 2011, 2012, and winning it in 2017. The 5K is the only race distance I haven't won at Beaufort so that's why I turned my attention back to the 5K starting in 2018. I thought it would be awesome to win all three races in my lifetime. I don't think anyone has won all three distances in the history of the Beaufort Road Race.
Until this year the Beaufort Road Race was the third Saturday in July but was moved to the second Saturday in June this year. Race organizers said they moved it for cooler temperatures. I don't think there is much of a difference between June and July in Beaufort with heat and humidity. Running the 5K in 2018 and 2019 was tough because it came a week after running The Bear up Grandfather Mountain and I had zero speed after running 5 miles uphill with 1,641 feet in elevation gain with 900 feet gain coming in the last two miles.
Until this year the Beaufort Road Race was the third Saturday in July but was moved to the second Saturday in June this year. Race organizers said they moved it for cooler temperatures. I don't think there is much of a difference between June and July in Beaufort with heat and humidity. Running the 5K in 2018 and 2019 was tough because it came a week after running The Bear up Grandfather Mountain and I had zero speed after running 5 miles uphill with 1,641 feet in elevation gain with 900 feet gain coming in the last two miles.
Kristin, our son Sonny, and Swift 2021 has been a year of adjustments. It started with the birth of our son in January. My training had been going well pre baby, getting my weekly mileage back into the upper 40s-60. Until April my mileage was still good in the same range up to 62 a week with one good workout a week. As things got busier my mileage and quality took a hit starting in mid April. My Mom also passed away last September 30th after her three years battle with stage 4 colon cancer and I went through depression for the first time in my life. A lot happened in such a short amount of time and I didn't know how to handle it well and I didn't. Things have gotten better though and training is coming back.
I was excited for this years race because our son would be there for his first race and he would get to meet a lot of people who knew his namesake and Carteret County running legend Sonny Hyman. We were fortunate with the weather this year and maybe moving it to June helped. It was cloudy with a good breeze and a chance of storms. Any runner in Carteret County in the summer will tell you they'll take clouds over sun anytime. Kristin, Sonny, and our dog Swift arrived at the race about 7am. We met some friends and Sonny got to be passed around and held by so many which he loved. I met my friend Steve for an easy warm-up run with strides after my dynamic warm-up routine.
I was excited for this years race because our son would be there for his first race and he would get to meet a lot of people who knew his namesake and Carteret County running legend Sonny Hyman. We were fortunate with the weather this year and maybe moving it to June helped. It was cloudy with a good breeze and a chance of storms. Any runner in Carteret County in the summer will tell you they'll take clouds over sun anytime. Kristin, Sonny, and our dog Swift arrived at the race about 7am. We met some friends and Sonny got to be passed around and held by so many which he loved. I met my friend Steve for an easy warm-up run with strides after my dynamic warm-up routine.
Start of the 5K/10K Steve and I lined up at the front and talked to my friend Lauren and an Elon University runner, Mark Szilagyi, who told us he was running the 10K and would like to pace off me till I turned. The race started and Mark and I went out fast to the lead. The wind was at our back and my goal was to open in the low to mid 5:50s for the first mile. We ran the first mile in 5:51 and I was feeling smooth and controlled. Mark started to pull away from me as we neared the 5K turnaround on the out and back course on Front Street. I wished him luck as he continued straight. The 10K course goes to the end of Front Street, down Lennoxville, then winds it way through the Historic District in a loop before getting back on Front Street to finish.
The headwind was tough coming back and I only had about a 4 second lead at the turnaround. My goal was to maintain my effort and pace as much as possible coming back. It's always fun running back hearing your friends and locals cheer you on as they are heading to the turnaround. I ran mile two in 5:59. I did not look behind me to see how far back second place was. My focus was holding onto the lead and getting to that finish line. The headwind got the strongest after the last curve on Front St and the road straightened out. I didn't hear anyone behind me and ran mile three in 6:10. I felt pretty confident I had the win secured began to celebrate as I neared the finish. I heard my wife cheering me on and I threw my arms up shouting "Finally". I saw Lauren's Dad to my left throw his arms up in celebration for me as I crossed the finish line in 1st Place Overall!
The headwind was tough coming back and I only had about a 4 second lead at the turnaround. My goal was to maintain my effort and pace as much as possible coming back. It's always fun running back hearing your friends and locals cheer you on as they are heading to the turnaround. I ran mile two in 5:59. I did not look behind me to see how far back second place was. My focus was holding onto the lead and getting to that finish line. The headwind got the strongest after the last curve on Front St and the road straightened out. I didn't hear anyone behind me and ran mile three in 6:10. I felt pretty confident I had the win secured began to celebrate as I neared the finish. I heard my wife cheering me on and I threw my arms up shouting "Finally". I saw Lauren's Dad to my left throw his arms up in celebration for me as I crossed the finish line in 1st Place Overall!
Finishing I did it! I won the 5K at the Beaufort Road Race! My time was 18:53; not my fastest at Beaufort but it did not matter. The win was all that mattered. I was so happy I ran back through the finish line down Front Street shouting "Finally" and "I've won all 3". I ran over to my wife, Sonny, and Swift and celebrated with them. I'm still so happy that I won the 5K at Beaufort. It was my first ever road race in 1997 and it's the first race our son as been to. It's pretty cool to think he could be at every Beaufort Road Race in his lifetime if he chooses. Now I've won 10K, mile, and 5K. Next year I plan to do the baby jogger division with our son Sonny. The baby jogger race has been competitive so it will be fun to go after a win and get Sonny his first win.
I cheered my friends on as they finished their races. Lauren finished 4th Overall and Won the 5K for the first time as well in 20:43. She recently qualified for the Boston Marathon at the Wilmington Marathon on April 17th. My friends Eric finished 6th Overall, 1st Masters in 22:21 and Steve was 8th overall and 2nd Masters in 22:58. Another good friend Kent finished just behind Steve in 9th Place overall in 23:11 winning his age group. Mary finished 2nd in her age group in the 5K and Ronnie finished third in his. I had two friends in the 10K. Paul Kelly had a great 10K wheelchair race winning it in 39:41. Eric Rowe finished third in his age group in the 10K.
The Beaufort Road Race is always going to be special to me. I've been there every year since 1997 and plan to keep that streak going. The June date was new and it may have been cooler than July but the clouds and wind is what made the big difference to me. I hope they move the start of 5K/10K to 7am instead of 8am. That would help with the heat too.
I cheered my friends on as they finished their races. Lauren finished 4th Overall and Won the 5K for the first time as well in 20:43. She recently qualified for the Boston Marathon at the Wilmington Marathon on April 17th. My friends Eric finished 6th Overall, 1st Masters in 22:21 and Steve was 8th overall and 2nd Masters in 22:58. Another good friend Kent finished just behind Steve in 9th Place overall in 23:11 winning his age group. Mary finished 2nd in her age group in the 5K and Ronnie finished third in his. I had two friends in the 10K. Paul Kelly had a great 10K wheelchair race winning it in 39:41. Eric Rowe finished third in his age group in the 10K.
The Beaufort Road Race is always going to be special to me. I've been there every year since 1997 and plan to keep that streak going. The June date was new and it may have been cooler than July but the clouds and wind is what made the big difference to me. I hope they move the start of 5K/10K to 7am instead of 8am. That would help with the heat too.
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