Pittsburgh Great Race 2012

Richard S. Caliguiri Great Race, a.k.a. Pittsburgh Great Race, is among top 10 biggest 10K races in the US. Last year I missed it because of sickness. This time I ignored all circumstances (like my excessive weight) and ran it along with other 8206 (!) runners (and ~4000 more for 5K).

This race is the main Fall running event in Pittsburgh.

Alina (left) and mom (taking a picture) came to support me.
Note the starting line in the background.

My result was ok-ish. I ran 36:06 (which is of course a PR) and scored #59 overall, and #14 among males 20-24. Six women managed to beat me -- and this is quite funny. I was also the only Ivan in the whole race. I take this fact as a name-choosing achievement of my parents.

The race has a nice downhill course that goes through the heart of the city, and ends in its focal point - Point State Park. The course goes past Carnegie Mellon, University of Pittsburgh, and Duquesne University.

I used an opportunity to be among seeded runners (around 500 people) who had a separate area to warmup and stared in front of the crazy eight-thousand crowd. Getting there was a matter of showing reasonable proof from previous races that you're more likely to run the Great Race rather than to walk it.

Haven't really slept enough.

The morning was slightly chilly. Exactly right for such a race.

Just look how big I am!
How can such a body finish a 10K distance is one
of the open questions in modern medical research.

Another proof that I've been carrying
a few extra pounds around.

Yet another proof. How depressing.

Notice a patriotic woman on the right who's paying
tribute to her national anthem.
Not my anthem => I don't care too much about it.

As usual, they played the anthem, said something useless, and fired the gun.
A host of people started moving at the same time!

In the front.

In the back.

They say that even after 20 minutes, people were still going through the starting line.

Myself in the crowd.

In the middle of the race, an easy rain started. Well, it's a Pittsburgh race, so it should rain for an authentic experience.

Finishing the last meters of the race.

By the end of the race I got pretty tired and not willing to compete anymore.

The last meter.

You can take a look at the finish line tape here.

After the race, trying to explain
what my name is using fingers.

That was the Great Race - a lot of people and a lot of fun.

The next big thing that happens to me is Columbus Marathon on October 21. Looks like I don't have much time left... Starting training today!