Waitakere Race

Sunday, October 15 dawned cloudy and windy. Although yesterday's forecast had predicted  sun, it was anybody's guess at 7 a.m. But it was race day. Entry fees had been paid, numbers pinned on shirts, and most importantly, we had rolled out of bed early. Racers don't change their minds because it looks a little doubtful outside. Allie told us stories of the time she ran in a Los Angeles Marathon as we ate breakfast. Fueled by her tales and by fresh-baked oatmeal banana muffins, off we went. 

As we left the house and started walking up Harvest Drive, I noticed that a light mist was sometimes falling, and sometimes not. Hmmm. I had my big black umbrella in my hand and two little collapsable models stuck into my back pocket. "Oh yeah," I thought, "I'm ready for you."

By the time we got to the race though, the mists had given up and the day, while still very windy, showed signs of proving the weatherman's optimistic outlook. 

Allie and Arram were running in a couple of the Sport Waitakere races that were being held nearby. The rugby club fields next to the Sturges Road Railroad Station hosted the event. Allie would be running an 11 k, and Arram the 2 k.  

 We walked to the race since it was being held just 15 minutes from our home.

 As the support crew, our motto is 'be prepared,' so Jeanne and I carried umbrellas that we hoped we wouldn't need. And, as it turned out, we didn't. 

More support

As always, help was available, but as far as I know, was not needed at this race.  

 Both runners were feeling fit, fueled and fast. 

Pre-race instructions for the runners.

Allie is about to start and is checking her boys on the sidelines. Arram's race starts in about 1/2 hour.  

There goes Allie's group. There were 76 in her category. There were also another 75 starting for their half-marathon run. 

Look at the concentration and anticipation and focus Arram shows here seconds before the siren, starting his race, sounds.  

Not only did the kids run the 2 kilometers, but they had to step through tires and crawl beneath cargo netting twice along their course.

Made it!  Fifth of all runners, fourth boy finishing and third in his age group. He did very well.
The timing and stats are so well done these days. He was wearing an electronic chip that recorded his time. The computer reported all his numbers instantly on the race websight. Impressive.    

Arram already shows signs of being a very smart runner. The course was twice around the fields at the rugby club. The runners would cross the parking lot at the half-way point so we had the opportunity to see how they were doing. When Arram came through the first time, I noticed that he was at least half way back in the pack. A batch of older kids were blazing along out in the lead. By the time they came around the 2nd time, at least a couple of those older kids had run completely out of steam and fallen way back toward the end of the runners. Arram, in contrast, had run his smart race and had been passing kids left and right. You'll notice in the picture that there were a couple he had just pulled ahead of as he made his approach to the finish line.  After the race he commented that he had noticed some kids running down the field and not paying attention to the line they were running. "It was like they were running a zig-zag" he said. He, on the other hand, set his eyes on the corner of his next turn up ahead, and ran the straightest line he could. Smart kid. I think he has learned a thing or two from his marathon-experienced mom. 

Minion hats and balloons were free, woohoo, so the boys decked themselves out and waited at the edge of the field for their mom to arrive at the home stretch. They ran with her as she approached the finish. 

And here she is. Good job Allie. That's Jeanne in the background.   

Post race, we celebrate a successful day.  

They also got free smoothies, and Arram received a mini-toolkit for entering the race. And a medal for finishing. What a great deal for an entry fee of $5.00. 

This is the kind of thing that the boys will remember forever I think. Good, healthy, positive outdoor activities. It doesn't get much better.   -djf