a Saturday morning, 9 May 2009, I drove down from Cheaha Mountain into Anniston, Alabama for the Anniston Lions Club's 11th annual Run For Sight 5K. I was spending the weekend in Cheaha State Park, and it seemed like an interesting way of getting in a workout on the road. Certainly, I had heard nothing but positives about the Anniston Runners Club.The race was on the grounds of Fort McLellan, a former United States army base. McLellan is being converted to civillian use, but most of the military-era structures are still standing. You see mountains no matter which direction you look from McLellan, which might make you uneasy about hills on the course. However, most of the route is nearly flat. The only slope I noticed on the first mile was a downhill around the mile mark, which made me wonder where we had gained the elevation we were losing. There were a couple of gently climbs on the second mile. The third mile featured an actual uphill (preceded by an actual downhill), but the climbing was all over by the last half mile, and the rest of the course was flat or downhill.
The course is scenic as well. Most of the first mile goes by wooded areas, parts of McLellan that have remained or returned to forest. The second mile swings past the McLellan track and then makes a circuit of Buckner Circle, lined with Mediterranean-style houses that must have been built as officers' quarters. The third mile continues past the Mediterannean architecture of Silver Chapel and the McLellan fire station, passes an attractive footbridge built during World War II by German prisoners of war, then continues through the park-like grounds of McLellan to return to the start and finish area near the Miller Sports Arena. The course was well marked, with arrows on the pavement and signs at each turn, and signs at each of the miles. Each intersection was staffed by a volunteer from the Lions Club, at each mile marker a worker called splits. Last but not least, the course was USATF certified (AL06013JD), so you knew that you were actually running a 5K.
In the race, the overall championship went to defending champion and 2008 Pell City High School alumnus Matthew Brick, who broke his own course record with a 16:38.51 performance. Brick was almost two-and-a-half minutes ahead of his nearest challenger, Rick Hester (19:05.98), who finished ten seconds up on third-place runner Jay Lloyd. Top women's honors went to Jo Ann Fort, eleventh overall in 21:37.69 and almost a quarter-mile ahead of the women's runner up, Brooke Nelson (19th overall in 23:02.19). Robyn Talley (31st overall in 24:19.46) completed the women's top three.So far as amenities, the race T-shirt was an attractive top made of a "moisture management" fabric. There was plenty of fruit, water, and soda in the finish area, as well as McDonald's breakfast bicuits. A live band performed in Miller Gym prior to the start of the awards ceremony, which was under way by about 9:30 AM.
At 137 finishers the Run For Sight is not a large race--certainly it's no Peachtree. But the 2009 race was the eleventh annual, and if the Anniston Lions Club continues to put on a quality event there should be many more annual editions to come.
Links:
- Some more of my race photos
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2641904&id=5215641&l=348db45f2b - USATF course certification map for the "Run For Sight 5K"
http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=AL06013JD - Anniston Runners Club E-New story about the 2009 "Run For Sight" 5K
http://annistonrunners.blogspot.com/2009/05/anniston-runners-enews-2009-38-may13.html - Results of the Anniston Lions "Run For Sight" 5K on active.com
http://results.active.com/pages/page.jsp?eventID=1749303
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