Race Report: 2020 Gasparilla Distance Classic 15k

The Gasparilla Distance Classic is an absolute favorite.  I was interested in it prior to moving to Tampa and remain interested even after moving away.  The two day race weekend features four races (15k, 5k, half marathon, 8k) and several challenges with combinations of two or even all four races.  It is a very large field with over 30,000 participating in the whole weekend.  Not only is it a popular winter race, but the field is also very competitive.  The 15k draws elite athletes from all over the country.  It also has a uniquely Tampa flavor.  The city supports this event very well.  

A few weeks after the official Gasparilla festival, this race weekend extends the winter traditions of pirate themed festivals of Gasparilla (There is a music, film, and art festival, too).  The courses aren't the most interesting in the world, consisting mostly of trips up and down Bayshore Boulevard.  For those who haven't run Bayshore, there are great views of the bay and the run is all along the water.  For those who run Bayshore everyday, it's another day at the office.  Still, the course is wide, flat, and lined with spectators.  Always a good time.  This would be my fourth Gasparilla festival.  It's getting up there with Space Coast for most times to run a single event.  

Race Week 

This was supposed to be part of a larger trip, with the Disney Princess races being the same weekend, but due to circumstances it turned into a fly-in, fly-out trip.   I was to arrive Friday, pick up my packet, make a work stop, see friends, and then to bed.  Exciting, I know.  I spent most of the week watching the weather.  Typically, the race is very hot with temps in the 80s by midday, which means warm and muggy at the start.  However, this year there was a cold front, and it looked to hit just before the weekend.  It was too good to be true, so I didn't believe it.   Once it was mid-week, it looked like a go.  I made the decision to go for it and actually race since weather didn't look to be terrible. 

Race Day 

I got up from my hotel and parked in my normal parking spot.  I really love how accessible this race is with parking and everything at the convention center.  There are real bathrooms and inside waiting until you have to go to the start.   The Riverwalk also provides a great, lighted area for a nice warm up.  It really is great to have that.  It was pretty cool (41 degrees) on race morning so I needed a trash bag to keep the body temp up at the start.  I shed my warm up layers and got in the corral with my short shorts, singlet, and trash bag.  Some Floridians were bundled up like it was below zero.  Considering I left 29 in Maryland, it wasn't so bad.  

Riverwalk for the morning warm up

Race 

I started out with the 7:30 pace group as we made the turn out of downtown and onto Bayshore.  It felt good out of the gate, but I knew I would need to make sure I didn't do something stupid in the beginning.   The sun was coming up, but I could tell it was not going to get warm for this race.  That was a good sign.  We would have a headwind on the return, but I didn't know how that would factor into effort.   I continued with this consistent pace for the first several mile. 

The pace was good for the first half of the race.  I stayed just in front of the 7:30 group until we reached the turn around.  Then, I decided to try to turn the screw.  The headwind was a bit strong, but it also cooled me off greatly.  I was able to slowly decrease a few seconds per mile for the rest of the race.  I saw lots of friends out along the course, which helped motivate to keep the effort up.  And that quickly, I was done.  

Near the end!

Overall (1:08) 

I was pleased with the effort.  After the difficult race at WDW in January, this was a good boost of confidence going into the start of the real season.  Conditions were right and I felt like normal again.  This is my fastest 15k (not that I do so many).  I won't say I gave it everything I had since I was still upright at the end, but I did give a good 95%.  It was good to see friends and have a quick trip back to our second home.  I'll likely keep making the trip every year for this one.