Big Feet, Small Ego
The motto of the Boilermaker 15k, “The world’s premier 15k event,” is “More than a race.” Truthfully, it made me scoff a bit when I read it on signage posted at the starting line. While that tagline may sound like a cliché, and indistinguishable from similar sentiments echoed by hundreds of other races, I discovered what that motto can mean, during the 47th running of what is, arguably, an iconic race.
Despite nearly two decades of running, I’d never registered for a 10k race. I’ve conquered everything from 5Ks to marathons, yet the 6.2-mile length was the one distance that eluded me. That all changed this past weekend, when I ran Richmond’s Monument Avenue 10k through the scenic streets of Virginia’s capital city steeped in American history.
Beautiful race setting aside, it wasn’t why I decided to run the race. It was another runner—a newer runner—who forced my hand, or, rather, feet into racing.