Troutman Sanders 10k review

In an effort to try to knock off some of those holiday season lbs that seem to cling to my midsection every year around this time, I ran the Troutman Sanders Renegade Santa 10k last weekend. I had run it last year, when it reeked less of corporate America and was called the "Make Room for Santa 10k," and thought it might be nice to try to beat my time from a year ago.

As an aside: I hate 10ks - always have, always will. They're the hardest race out there, if you ask me. Yeah, you're not running as fast as a 5k, but a 5k is over in a little over 20 minutes (someday, it will be over in 19 minutes and 59 seconds for me...someday...). Yeah, it's not as long as a half-marathon and is really only a warm-up run compared to a marathon, but you're not running nearly as fast in a half or full marathon. You never hit the red line the way you do in a 5k or 10k. And certainly not for 40+ minutes. No, a 10k is probably the worst race out there. You're running at a really uncomfortable pace for just long enough that when you finally hit the finish line, you're not sure which will collapse first: your legs or your lungs. I dread 10ks and very rarely include them in my - admittedly meager - race docket.

The Santa 10k sounds awesome on paper. Cost isn't too bad: $25 for early registration, $35 for procrastinators like me. (A better deal than, say, Nike's scam of charging you $40 to run a 10k ON YOUR OWN...!!!!) The course is about as flat as they come, and it's all run on either paved or dirt bike trail with no cars around. And the organizers make it festive and give prizes for best Santa costume, etc.

I enjoyed this race when I first ran it in December 2011. The problem is: so did everybody else. And they told their friends. The race was probably at least double the size it was last year. I think I heard them say 1400 people this year, compared to 600 last year.

Overall, it's an enjoyable race and not a surprise why it's so popular. The organizers make themselves visible, everyone is really nice and in the holiday spirit, and they actually have a pretty decent amount of vendors on hand with cool giveaways. Oh, and I LOVE the Santa's finisher medal / ornament. Those hang on my Christmas tree; smart marketing idea :) And a BJ's gift card to age group winners is really nice; thank you!

However, there are some things they really need to work on for next year, or they'll go on Santa's Naughty list (sorry, couldn't resist...):

- PLEASE start the 5k race half an hour before the 10k. A significant portion of the 5k racers are just out there for a fun walk or easy jog -- which is fine except that means they are clogging up the narrow bike trail for miles 4-6 while faster 10k runners are trying to race. We were dodging strollers, people walking 3 abreast, and little kids during the second half of the race, which is not only highly annoying but also highly tiring and potentially dangerous. Starting the 5k 30 minutes prior would get the majority of 5k participants off the course before the 10k racers would catch them. And since the race is held in December, considering how cold it was at the start, I don't think too many people will be complaining about a later race start.

- PLEASE allow additional entry in the start corrals. If you are running a 7 minute pace, for instance, you have to walk all the way down to the end and then try to fight your way through a mass of slower runners to get up to the front. It would be really helpful to just have a few more access points on the sides to let people get in and out more easily.

- For the love of God, turn down the volume on the speakers or move them farther away from the start line. Once you get into the start corral area, as I mentioned above, you pretty much can't get out because there aren't any access points on the side, and you're trapped standing next to speakers blaring the announcer's voice at deafening volumes. I think my eardrums were pretty close to bleeding, it was so loud.

- Any chance we could get either a long-sleeved shirt like in 2011 or a technical shirt if short-sleeved? I have more short-sleeved cotton shirts than I know what to do with. 2011's long-sleever is still one of my favorites.

- Please have water bottles available at the end, instead of small cups with a sip of water in them. I just ran 6 miles hard; it'd be nice to only have to walk over to the water booth once instead of having to keep going back just to quench my thirst. It would also save on the number of volunteers needed to man the water booth.

- The awards ceremony was by far the longest I've ever been to. I think it took at least 45 minutes to get through the 5k awards. Then there was the costume contest. And then finally the 10k awards. I wasn't the only 10k participant asking if there was any chance I could just pick up my award at the table instead of having to stick around and wait for my age group. I'm not sure why it took so long, but it was pretty painful....

Complaints aside, it's an enjoyable race. I ran a personal best time in the 10k and had a good time doing it. See you guys next year - hopefully half an hour later...