I ran my first three races of the Kennesaw Grand Prix series in June, July and August. I had to miss the races in May and September so I was excited to return for the final race in the six race series, the Garden Gallop 5K. After running my fourth race in the Kennesaw Grand Prix, I earn a hoodie for being a series finisher. Bonus: it is a few days before Halloween so that gives me a good excuse for some Halloween themed attire!
To my total surprise (and his too), my friend Zack showed up in an inflatable bull costume so our costumes coordinated quite well. To say that we both excited might be a tad of an understatement.
I was running with my rootin' tootin' partner, Zack, and the inflatable bull. Since we didn't want to cause disruptions with his costume, we started last (about 10 seconds after the last runners crossed the start).
Mile two inside of the park was pretty decent with just a slightly slower pace. I typically slow down a little bit inside of the park because the course is pretty narrow at this point as it is paved trail in the park so maneuvering around folks can be kind of tricky...especially with an inflatable bull.
One of my favorite things about the Kennesaw Grand Prix series is that the mayor of Kennesaw, Derek Easterling, greets you at the finish line with high fives. How cool is that?!?! Mayor Easterling is such a joy to be around and you can tell how passionate he is about the Kennesaw Grand Prix, the running community, and the city of Kennesaw. No matter if you are first or last, you can always count on Mayor Easterling to be at the finish line with a smile and high-five for you.
While this was the final race of this year's series, be sure to keep the Kennesaw Grand Prix on your radar for 2019. Information will come out in a few months, but the series kicks off in May each year. To learn more about the Kennesaw Grand Prix series and register for their upcoming races, be sure to check out their website.