Race Report: Get Outside on Governors Island 10K

I ran my first race since the Kyoto Marathon this morning on Governors Island. Governors Island is such a cool place. It's like a ghost town where cars aren't allowed and where uninhabited houses remain intact. For those who are curious to know more, there was a 2009 New Yorker article about the renovation of Governors Island into a NYC park with a video posted online. When I visited the island in 2009 for the first time I remember thinking it would be a really great place to run, but I didn't follow up on that daydream until today.

Betsy and I met up at 6 am this morning to take the train into Manhattan where we would catch the ferry for the seven minute ferry ride from Battery Park to the island. We accidentally ended up taking a train to Canal Street and decided to walk downtown to Battery Park. This turned out to be a nice warm-up, and we arrived in plenty of time to get on the 7:30 am ferry.

Ahoy! On the ferry bound for Governors Island

View of Governors Island from the tip of Manhattan

Disembarking

When we reached the island we followed the flow of foot traffic to the shady lawn where baggage check was located. There were tables set up to receive a free reusable water bottle and to pick up bananas and bagels and cream cheese. I was impressed with the unlimited supply of bagels and bananas. I was also impressed with the giant water stations they had set up to refill water bottles.

But then things started getting weird. A DJ was playing music, and a voice on a PA system directed us to make our way to the starting line. Runners started to make their way in one direction. Betsy and I followed some people and some people followed us and we all ended up at the harbor on the race course, but there was no indication of a starting line anywhere. We made our way back toward the shady lawn. That's when a race-official-looking-person appeared. I heard people asking him where the start was. Betsy turned to me and said, "We were just told to start here so we don't block the road, but isn't this a road race?" Did I mention that there aren't any cars allowed on Governors Island? It was so perplexing. 

Confusion at the "start line"

Eventually we lined up on a kind of side road and it appeared we'd make a left onto the road and begin running. This was officially the oddest way to start a race I've ever experienced!

But start the race we did and I began the first of three loops that would make up the 10K. What to say about these loops? Well, they were roughly two miles long and they meandered this way and that through the island with a few rough patches of pavement and a few views of the harbor. I saw some chickens wandering around. An exciting moment for me was when I thought a volunteer on the sidelines was yelling, "Free slices of pie!" but when I got closer I was disappointed to realize she was actually saying, "Free high-fives!" 

It was really hot today. I ran with the free water bottle which would normally be annoying to carry, but I enjoyed having the water in my hand. I sipped on it and poured some of it down my back. I also grabbed cups at the one water station (passed three times) and poured those down my back. By the time I finished I was soaked. 

The finish line was well-marked!

Finish time: 52:11

Overall: 290th of 828

Total female finishers: 71st of 422

Age group F30-39: 35th of 180

I would have to say that despite the odd starting line, I enjoyed this race a lot and will hopefully do it again next year. After the race we got more bananas and bagels and took the ferry back to Manhattan. We completed the morning with a walk back to brooklyn via the Brooklyn Bridge.