Hey, I'm back after a short hiatus. So yesterday we did the 'first ever' Nicorette Quitters run at East Coast park. I thought it was quite well organised and vibrant for such a low profile event.
Surprisingly, the event drew a larger number of participants than expected. I guess it may attribute to the appealing marketing strategy as well as the low entry fee, which was only $10. Upon receiving the race pack, we thought that the goodies inside was pretty value for money; though I've mentioned that before.
So onto the run itself. When we reached the gathering area, we were greeted by the eye-pleasing green and white promotional colours from the posters all around. Yes, it was a small event, but they didn't compromise by presenting us with a lackluster event. The placement of booths were strategic and well spread out, but I felt that they could have added in signs so that participants could easily locate them. Eg, water point, bag collection, etc. Also, it'd be better if they had a few temporary toilets, or at least showed where the nearest toilets were. Another thing I found to be quite amusing was; why was the Milo truck located so far away from the race area? It turned out to be extremely inconvenient for runners, who had to walk a distance to get their Milo. And yet again, no guides as to where it was in the first place. I had only managed to stumble across the truck after exiting Billy Bombers, if not I wouldn't even know of it's existence!
The run started about 10 minutes later, but that was because of a large amount of people arriving late. Pretty straightforward route, with a U-turn at East Coast Seafood centre at the 3.75k mark. Two feedbacks for the route. One, the distances markers, although present, should be bigger so that it would be easier to see them. I found myself squinting a bit just to try to see the number on the small board. If not, have volunteers physically hold them and tell runners the actual distance. Also, maybe it would be better if 'cheerleaders' were placed throughout the route instead of all being congregated at the finishing line. I'm sure that would be more in-sync with what was presented to us like in the promotional video for the run. Water points were adequate for a short and simple run like this, which was good. The breakfast and massaging area were interesting as well.
Yea, in short it was successful in the sense that it doesn't overdo things for a simple run like that. However some hindering points such as the Milo truck and the race markers could be improved on. Otherwise it was a pretty good experience, and I think if the event is planned on a larger scale next year, a lot more runners will definitely join in.
Personally, I hit a PB of 34:34:09 for the 7.5k which is pretty darn sweet! It was far better from my expected timing of 37:30. I am looking forward to this unique 7.5k next year!
QOTD: Running may not add years to your life, but it will definitely add life to your years.
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