2021 Craft Classic 5K Race Report
Disclaimer: I received a free entry to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!
After a year of limited in-person events and activities, it was nice to participate in something that was not virtual-based. The Craft Classic 5K offered both virtual and in-person races this year after being fully virtual last year. And while the race experience was not exactly like it was pre-COVID, it was a better experience than I had initially hoped for. When the pandemic first started, there were fears of vapor trails if you ran too close behind someone. As time went by, studies began to dispel some of those fears. Although things like a large race expo with large crowds won’t be happening any time soon, it is still a positive sign to see races themselves taking place this year.
It was helpful having a race scheduled as that always encourages me to run more and train harder in preparation. I was able to ramp up my training schedule and log more miles than the previous year. Having something to look forward to helps me push through days that aren’t going as well. I know there are others who are not as fortunate as I have been, so I am always grateful to be healthy enough to be able to run for fun.
The race went off without a hitch, I saw other runners and volunteers with masks, but for the most part, it looked and felt like a normal race. I know race starts can get quite congested, but I was able to maintain a reasonable distance from everyone and run as I had in previous races. As mentioned before, there was a race expo like in years past, but I was actually able to get my race packet mailed to me which was very convenient. The medal was also very cool looking, so glad to have been part of this race.
