John & Jessie Kelly 11.6 Mile Road Race

This was the third race in the Kelley’s Pace Trifecta that included the Frostbite Five Miler and the Hare Hop 5K; if it weren’t for the trifecta medal, this race report would not have happened since the following day was the Niantic Bay Tri (Abandoned Bread is a minor medal whore).  Registration was mail-in, but happily they also accepted day-of registrants.  There is NO FEE for this race; in fact it has been entrance fee free for 54 years!  Since there is NO FEE, there’s also no finisher’s medal or race shirt; for a $15 donation you can get the commemorative race shirt, a nice striking-yellow 100% polyester technical tee hecho en Honduras (big plus, it’s tagless!)

The Shirt

The course is a loop with the start and end at Ocean Beach Park at a reasonable 9:00am.  It is run on the roads (which are open to traffic) and runners are advised to stay right, which is anathema to what most runners are used to, but with such a large slug of people it eventually makes sense.  On the busier streets with no sidewalk or bike lane, the local police had carved-out a bit of the right-of-way for the sweaty masses.  The course is mostly flat, winding through parts of New London and Waterford, Connecticut, with only one real hill at the eight-mile mark.  It’s well-marked with spray paint arrows and mile marks on the road.  The volunteers were cheerful, supportive, and plenty.  There were enough water points along the way, and spaced at what felt just the right distance from each other; water seemed to be the only thing provided, but there might have been some Gatorade that got missed.

Abandoned Bread took it easy since, as previously mentioned, there was a sprint triathlon the next day in Niantic.  After doing the first three miles in the low nine’s, AB throttled-back to a mid-nine pace for most of the remainder of the morning, listening pleasantly to, and occasionally singing with, the iPod.  Per the customary fueling practice, AB had snacks at miles four and eight (AB eats every four miles when running, every 45 minutes when cycling; these are not roughly equivalent).  Enjoyed Skratch Labs Raspberry Fruit Drops, in conjunction with the on-course water.  It was a rather warm day, but the cloud cover kept it from getting really hot.

Afterward there was the customary water and banana and organo-chocolaty ‘healthy’ bar.  They also had  soda (a cold, flat Coke really can hit the spot sometimes) and clam chowder from Port ‘n Starboard.  Clam chowder appears to be a post-race tradition around this area, and while it might seem odd to serve hot chowda to sweaty over-heated runners on a warm summer day … don’t knock it, it’s good.  Got a complimentary stretch from the nice folks at Independence Physical Therapy while having a good discussion with them about AB’s shoes, Vibram FiveFingers Bikila Evo LS (which appear to have been renamed the V-Run).

If you’re a middle-distance runner, or a short-distance person who wants a challenge, this is a good race for you.  It’s well-run and well-supported, sociable without being chatty, and a fun time on a Saturday morning.  Plus, your entrance to the park is free; stay at the beach the rest of the day!

Wost part:  No National Anthem to kkick-off the race.  Disappointed.

Totals for the day:  11.6 miles in 1:49:40, 9:31/mile; two runners in Vibrams, one in huaraches, and one totally barefoot brother.

Kelley’s Pace Shoreline Trifecta Medal

-AB