2001 Red River 10k Commentary
Great run. You’re not going to do any better than that for a local race. The WM loaded up the car, picked up the Old Pro and the Little Warrior, and made the trek to Alexandria for the Red River 10k. Having an absolutely perfect day for a race didn’t hurt - mid 40’s, lots of sun, low humidity, just a hint of a breeze. A well-organized race is a thing we all appreciate, and often take largely for granted. The 2001 RR 10k was superbly orchestrated. The start was promptly at 9:00. The course was well marked, with a marshal or two at every intersection (thanks to the Junior ROTC volunteers who did an excellent job in this capacity). We all enjoyed the fast course - predominantly residential, not too many turns, a nice spin through the park. The two down-and-ups when the course went under I-49 were easy. Someone was obviously out early with the cones, there were plenty of them marking the turns and keeping the cars at bay. And the finish was good as well, the PA announcer calling off as many names as he could manage, and Scott Christoper had the scoring well in hand, as usual. The post-race party was super. The food was delicious. The band, Redeye, was particularly good. A bunch of runners at 10:30 in the morning is a tough crowd for a no-frills rock band with a bluesy tint, or any band for that matter. Redeye is a three-piece outfit - real nice guys, judging from our brief visit. E-mail me if you want contact information as I grabbed a business card from them. So if you didn’t make the Red River 10k this year, I know you will next year. It’s probably a little less than half the size of Cajun Cup in terms of number of runners, but I’d say it’s on a par with that race, the area’s premier road event, in most every way that matters. |