Race Report: Vodacom Rose Run 2013

Bloemfontein, my hometown, is also known as the City of Roses - an honour owed to the abundance of roses grown in gardens across the city, as well as the annual Rose Festival hosted by the city.  It's only fitting then, that Bloemfontein also plays host to an annual Rose Run, of which the 2013 edition took place this morning.

Bloemfontein [source].

The Vodacom Rose Run offers 32 and 10 km distance options, as well as a kiddies dash of 1.7 km.  I opted for the 10 k, which started at 06:45 on what turned out to be an absolutely perfect day for running.  Will's racing season is currently drawing to a close, so with no races on his agenda today, he and Baby Girl joined me for some moral support - yay!

Breakfast on the go.

We were late for the start (yawn), so I literally started right at the back - when will I ever learn?!  The first few kilometers were so slow and crowded - the entire field even came to a complete halt at one stage.  

The starting line.

The field finally spread out about 3 kays into the race and from there on it was plain sailing.  The route winded through some of the quieter streets of a well-known Bloem suburb and my absolute favourite part was exchanging tar for gravel between Kilometers 6 and 8.  It was a fun, slippery, muddy affair - loved it!

The race ended at Emoya Estate - an ideal race venue in my books.  There was plenty for Will and Baby Girl to see and do while I was running, plus parking and other race logistics were a breeze.  We definitely want to go back and explore the area some more.

Emoya Estate's "Shanty Town" with a difference - these shanties are equipped with underfloor heating and wireless internet!  On the other end of the spectrum, Emoya Estate also boasts conference facilities and a luxury hotel and spa.  

I finished in 54:35 and ran comfortable training race - just as planned.  Starting to get really excited about my half-marathon in May!

Finishing in 54:35.