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You are here: Home / Uncategorized / race report: cottonmouth quarter marathon + 5k (10.31.20)

race report: cottonmouth quarter marathon + 5k (10.31.20)

November 4, 2020      20 Comments

Almost 11 months after I slipped on the stairs and snapped two bones in my leg, I found myself at the start line of the Cottonmouth Quarter Marathon & 5k!

Yes, it was a live, in-person race, one of the first since COVID-19 led to lockdowns in our area. It was a long time coming, thanks to both a serious injury and a devastating pandemic, but I felt somewhat confident this would be a good place to start.

cottonmouth quarter marathon

The Cottonmouth Quarter Marathon and 5K has been in existence for several years. For one reason or another, I just never got around to running it.

The race takes place in Elkton, which is basically farm country. Packet pickup and race day both took place at Sykes Family Farm, which had just closed their pumpkin patch for the season.

On Friday afternoon, I made the drive to the farm (about 20 minutes) to pick up packets for myself, Mr PugRunner, and my running buddy J. I figured it would be best to get that out of the way, even though the runner field was small. Pickup was outside, and the participants social distanced and wore masks while collected their race shirts, chipped bibs, and “goodie bag” (a pencil and Farm Bureau bumper sticker).

For the first time in forever, I got to assemble a flat runner. I went with Halloween colors – orange and green.

The race started at 7:45 AM, so we planned for a 7:00 departure. We carpooled with J and her husband: we have all been engaging in similar social distancing practices, so our families do socialize in these times.

We took the back way to the race, which meant we got stuck at the start line setup and had to redirect to the front entrance of the farm. Whoops. In our defense, I don’t recall seeing that mentioned anywhere, but the volunteers were cool about it and we parked without further incident.

It was a beautiful morning, cool and clear. There was plenty of room to distance from the other runners, so we milled about, and visited some of the adorable farm animals.

All races need animals. And beautiful sunrises.

Soon, it was time to gather at the start line. Again, everyone was very respectful with distancing, so even though we had our masks with us, we never felt close enough to anyone to need them.

The race organizers noticed that there were long lines at the portapotties, so they opted to hold the start until everyone was finished. I was so ready to go, but it was kind of them to allow for that. Again, since there weren’t a ton of runners, the delay was maybe eight to ten minutes, and I’m sure it was appreciated.

Participants registered for either a 5K or a Quarter Marathon (roughly 6.55 miles), and the course was easy: run about 1/4 mile down the road, turn left, run to the 5K or Quarter Marathon turnaround, and come on back.

I hate out and backs, especially with such a major straightaway, but OMG we were RACING! FOR REAL! All was forgiven.

Since the race was chip timed, we were able to shuffle to the start line without crowding and then we were off. Everyone separated out into their paces fairly quickly, and the road was wide enough for all the participants to space out.

J and I stuck together, with 3:1 intervals. It was just a touch warmer than I had hoped for, and we were in the full sun the entire time, but we kept a nice pace, definitely much quicker than we run in training.

Before long, we hit the turnaround and back we came. It was funny because we usually chat so much during our runs, but this time, our focus was on the road ahead, and we were much quieter. I missed the conversation, but I also felt so strong.

And then we were at the finish line – J’s husband had made the cutest sign and he cheered us in!

We collected our medals, cheered Mr PugRunner to his finish, and then popped back in the farm to take our finisher photos in the sunflower field.

Mr PugRunner ran a new PR! And J earned third place in her age group! I was so proud of and happy for them both, and I was also so proud to have gotten a chance to do what I love.

Back at the car, I pulled out some cans of rosé I had brought to celebrate a job well done by us all! I wanted to do something special for everyone, and it was a hit.

And of course, the medals were super cute: they double as bottle openers! I was thrilled to have earned a real-life medal to hang on my rack.

All in all, this was a great experience. It was small, felt safe, and was clearly much-loved by everyone participating that day. Everyone was all smiles, and seemed so happy to be there. It was so good to be a part of the joy and passion of the day, and I would absolutely come out again.

Next up? A 10K in December! It’s on!

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Comments

  1. Lisa @ Mile by Mile says

    November 4, 2020 at 9:14 am

    This sounds like it was the perfect comeback race! I’m glad it was able to be held safely. Congratulations! Can’t wait to see how the 10k goes next!

    Reply
  2. Beckett @ Birchwood Pie says

    November 4, 2020 at 11:42 am

    High 5! Congrats on your race! And a PR for the Mister! I’ve never heard of a quarter marathon before. There’s a race that advertises itself as a half/10k but the 10k is a full “half of a half”, so it would make more sense to call it a quarter marathon.

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      November 7, 2020 at 6:03 pm

      I guess it just works out that way with their route? It’s a fun distance – automatic PR for the first time running it!

      Reply
  3. Darlene S Cardillo says

    November 4, 2020 at 1:14 pm

    Congrats. So glad you are racing again. Glad that anyone is racing lol

    Nice that you had company. I don’t usually have anyone that runs my pace when I race.

    Rose after the race. What a great idea!!

    I have a half on Nov 15 and maybe a 5k on Dec 6 (if I go to NYC).

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      November 7, 2020 at 6:02 pm

      We have been running together for a few months now, and it’s been working out great. We will go in for a 10K in December, and that should be fun.

      Reply
  4. Deborah Brooks says

    November 4, 2020 at 1:50 pm

    yay sounds like the perfect race for a comeback! Congrats. I’ve never heard of a 1/4 marathon but I like that distance. I like a out and back sometimes. Nice job! Bet that felt just amazing

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      November 7, 2020 at 6:02 pm

      I kind of wanted to do it, but I also kind of wanted to play it safe.

      It felt so great to be out there.

      Reply
  5. Catrina says

    November 4, 2020 at 2:12 pm

    What an awesome job, Jenn! I love it!

    Congratulations to your husband on his PR and your friend on her third place.

    I also like the bubbly to celebrate at the end!

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      November 7, 2020 at 6:01 pm

      I was so proud of all of them!

      Reply
  6. Laurie says

    November 4, 2020 at 5:19 pm

    Congratulations and welcome back to racing! The farm race sounds like a fun one, even with the COVID restrictions. Congrats to your hubby and running partner too. Sounds like a successful day all around!

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      November 7, 2020 at 6:01 pm

      It was a great day!

      Reply
  7. Stacie Seidman says

    November 4, 2020 at 7:22 pm

    No in person races up here. In fact we just reverted from phase 3 back to phase 2. It was a bummer to miss my favorite fall races, but I did them virtually at least!
    Sounds like a safe and fun time! So happy for you that your’e back at it!

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      November 7, 2020 at 6:01 pm

      I had heard you guys stepped back. That’s hard. I don’t think Florida will do that unless under extreme duress. We shall see.

      Reply
  8. Laura says

    November 5, 2020 at 1:31 pm

    That’s so exciting you were able to run an in-person race! Congrats also to Mr. Pug Runner on the PR! I was registered for an in-person half but didn’t do it (gave up my spot to someone on the wait list) after having Covid. I’m hopeful that I can get some opportunity to race in the spring!

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      November 7, 2020 at 6:00 pm

      You will get back there. I’m glad your spot was able to go to someone else. I know that doesn’t lessen the sting any, but at least it didn’t go to waste.

      We are all rooting for you <3

      Reply
  9. Liz Dexter says

    November 5, 2020 at 7:12 pm

    How lovely – and looks like it was really well-organised. I love the medal, too!

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      November 7, 2020 at 5:59 pm

      The medal was a selling point for me!

      Reply
  10. Janelle @ Run With No Regrets says

    November 6, 2020 at 5:09 pm

    Congratulations! What a nice, local race – it looks like they really took social distancing seriously, which is great! I love the fall colors and the medal!
    Janelle @ Run With No Regrets recently posted…November Fitness Goals and October Goal RecapMy Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      November 7, 2020 at 5:58 pm

      It was a nice experience, and I’m glad for it.

      Reply
  11. b-c says

    November 24, 2020 at 7:55 am

    The medal got my attention the most. What a well-organized event. must have been fun.
    This is lovely. And before I forget, congratulations.
    b-c recently posted…Design classic: RedWhite’s ‘the BIB’ bibshortsMy Profile

    Reply

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Welcome to Runs With Pugs. My name is Jenn and this is the story of my love affair with running and finding myself through fitness. From C25K to marathon, from triathlon to SUP, from broken leg to the recovery journey... I'm sharing it all. I'm a wife and mother of one, living in NE Florida, in love with travel, adventure, and food. Oh. We have a grumble of pugs, too. Thank you for joining us! We're glad to have you along for the ride!

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