Review of The Big Game 5K

This morning I ran The Big Game 5K at the Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ.  To be honest I wasn't expecting much, but I was very impressed with every aspect of this race. 

The course was excellent, especially considering the sheer volume of snow we have gotten recently.  Two laps around the plaza, with a short "out and back" section to get the course to 5K length. 

 Coordination with local police must have been good since roads were shut down, including entrances to the mall that could allow a vehicle onto the course. It felt safe, that's for sure. 

The race shirts were okay, nothing special in my opinion but at least they were a solid color and not white. Considering the time of year, I would have preferred a long sleeve shirt. However, I can understand the additional cost associated with that and won't hold it against the race organizers. 

Finisher medals were a definite plus, who doesn't like getting a medal!?!! 

Oh, and I can't forget the group that was at the start, halfway, and finish line cheering on the runners. I think thy were called "I love you".  Very motivational, made me feel like a rockstar running through their cheerful gauntlet! 

Race registration/pickup and expo at the mall were pretty cool. Great atmosphere and lots of sponsors present. Also, incredible volunteers who even directed traffic in the parking garage and stood in the cold at a water station and at the finish line. Very impressed. 

Results took a long time to be posted, but I think they waited for all runners to finish. Not a big problem but when you want to go home it would be nice to have a look at the results first. 

Only real problem I had with this race was not something that could be controlled. It was just way too freaking cold. 18 degrees and windy was not comfortable at all. By the end of mile 1 my feet were numb and felt like ice blocks attached to the bottom of my legs. This was a major hindrance for me, and I finished about a minute and a half slower than I planned on. Also was lucky enough to have an extra sweatshirt in my car, because my cold gear just didn't cut it. Well, at least it wasn't snowing. 

Final thoughts: would definitely do this race again. 

My results: 

Time: 27:48

89th out of 454 overall

30th out of female runners

11th in 10-year age bracket 

Personal accomplishment in race: sprinting past 3 runners right before crossing the finish line.