The Summer Solstice of 2012 has passed and days are now officially getting shorter. However, during the Salem Summer Solstice 5k/10k this past Saturday, the extra sunlight really only made people able to see the non-stop raindrops more clearly. The odd weather did not deter the nearly 400 5k and 10k participants, 2 of which included myself and my 2 year daughter, from arriving in droves at Minto Brown Park. Since my daughter loves races, and was excited all week to go to the “ice cream race”, a little rain would not deter us from participating our first time with her participating by stroller.



Getting There
Minto Brown Park really is a great area for running. However, it is often not so great for parking if it becomes busy. I attended this event last year and vaguely remember having to leave the car along the side of the road leading into the main parking area. I’m not sure if I just didn’t know about it this year, or if the parking situation has changed, but there was a new field I wasn’t aware of that allowed for overflow cars and fit everyone in very nicely.

Registration
I am going to chalk up the cluttered race registration to the weather. There is one main covered pavilion in the area, and it was forced into being crammed full of racers trying to stay warm before the race. This, in turn, made it difficult to figure out where to register and where to pick up bibs/timing devices. There were small handwritten signs on the table that may have been better visible had there not been the clutter of people. I can only believe that if the weather would have been sunny (or at least less wet), the registration would have been much smoother.

Course
I really like this course for the most part. Minto Brown Park itself has numerous trails available, both paved and trail. The 5k course was essentially two out and backs, the first one being south of the start/finish, followed by one north. The 10k followed the majority of the 5k, but did have an extended loop around the park to achieve the extra distance.

The 5k course does have one major flaw. At about the half mile mark, the 5k runners turn around a cone and double back towards the start on the same paved trail (10k runners continue straight further into the park). Being a previous participant, I knew this turnaround was happening and was prepared. We stayed well to the right of the path to allow those faster runners enough room on the way back. Those who weren’t aware of the turnaround (or neglected to read the course map), became caught up in near head-on collisions with the elite runners. Luckily no one (that I saw, at least) got anything more than a scare.

After the turnaround, things really thin out. The path essentially doubles in size, as there is no major fear of the head on collisions anymore, and runners can really pick up speed. Being that this was my first race with a stroller, I decided to start in the far back out of courtesy. Given the large number of people on this single trail, I ended up getting caught being unable to pass and essentially had to walk the first half mile. Next time, I think I would start much further up to begin with, as I passed a significant number of people following the ½ mile 5k turnaround. (BTW, is it bad form to start in the middle of the pack with a stroller, if you know you are going to be able keep pace?)

Once 5k runners return to start area (and the 1-mile mark), they slightly veer off the paved path and hit a miniscule portion of bark before returning briefly to the paved trail. The next straight away was on a dirt/mud/gravel mix which offered some potholes and puddles reminiscent of my recent off-road trail races. The final stretch (and my favorite) returns to paved path and snakes along the banks of the Willamette River. While the view was fantastic even in the rain, I know it is even better when the sun is shining.

Post Race
The Summer Solstice 5k/10k keeps prices low by not offering t-shirts and instead focusing their energy on the most essential post-race refueling there is: ice cream! I always appreciate something a little different post-race, and I know my 2 year old did too.  Vanilla ice cream was made available for all runners (and $2 for non-runners), and there were a few options for toppings as well. It’s not Cold Stone, but it was refreshing and fun to have a little ice-cream social afterwards. The line can get long, but volunteers are great at working hard to move everyone along as quickly as possible.



This is one of those races that I will continue to put on my schedule every year. The low cost, great area, and community feel really make it one of the most fun in Salem.

Full results can be found here through Race Northwest.

5k Men Overall
1. Devin White                   16:41
2. Orion Davidson of Keizer   17:24
3. Eric Jeffers of Salem        17:50

5k Women Overall
1. Ashley Boyle   17:58
2. Robin McGillis  19:29
3. Marni Dettart  20:55

10k Men Overall
1. Gabino Oropeza of Salem   36:31
2. Kym Hunt of Scio             39:29:1
3. Chris Poole of Salem         39:29:8

10k Women Overall
1. Lisa Henrick                   43:15
2. Sharon Cutz of Salem      45:29
3. Krystal Foster of Salem    45:34




Main Article :http://blog.oregonlive.com/runoregon/2012/06/2012_salem_summer_solstice_5k1_1.html