The Eastwood 5 Mile race is the last event in the Syrathon competition. The race starts at Henniger High School and winds its way through the Eastwood neighborhood. The promoters advertise the race as having “several challenging (but not too tough) hills.” This is a fair assessment of the course; the hills and five mile length make this a popular warmup for the Syracuse Half Marathon in early November.
This makes for a potentially fast field, as I would soon discover.
The day of the race was cool and overcast, with a chance of rain. I opted to walk to the high school, which is slightly over a mile from the school, as a warmup. The school was open to runners, with restoration set up the the gym; this afforded us enough room to warm up out of the wind and chill of the day.
The field gathered at the start line outside of the school, where we were treated to a beautifully sung national anthem, a drone sailed overhead, and we were off without a hitch.
I aimed to finish the race in 45 minutes or less, which I saw as achievable, though I knew the terrain would make this a challenging event. The fact that the field was packed with runners using the race as preparation for the Half Marathon made it even more so. The course extended through Shotwell Park before doubling back, and we had a dispiriting view of just how many people had bolted ahead of the field.
The course remained me somewhat of Strathmore, though most of the climbs were shorter or less steep. There were relatively few flat portions of the course, and rolling terrain took its toll. As we turned onto Mosley, a short but stiff climb tested us further.
Just sneaking in under 45 minutes.
A fellow runner and I developed a friendly competition for much of the course, and this was a welcome change from what had essentially been a series of solo efforts in prior races. Drafting, especially at the modest speeds I’m capable of, may not play the role it does in bicycle races, but the psychological boost of running with an evenly-matched competitor helped enormously, even if he slipped away from me in the end.
After a final climb and a brief stint on a trail, we descended a fair hill to the finish line. I just managed to squeak in under 45 minutes. I was initially disappointed with my pace, and results, but this was a challenging course and field.
The organizers pulled out the stops for this event, adding a medal, then a coupon for a free pizza at Trappers II to shirt as the days ticked down to the race. The added giveaways may have added to the field, which was larger than in previous years.
After partaking of some postface vittles, I walked home in a light rain that mercifully held off during the race.
Location: Henniger High School, Syracuse
Cost: $40
Swag: shirt, medal, post race food, coupon for free pizza from Trappers II
Events: 5 Mile Race
Field: 295
Result: 108/295@44:57; 9:00; 7/16
