BTN B1G Virtual 10k/5k Run/Walk Week (Updated)

It is finally time for the annual Big Ten 10k race. If you signed up for the 10k or the 5k run or walk, then this is the right story to open for you. To start the festivities of the week, I will let Captain Kirk lead off with his Grand Marshal pep talk first:

As you are all aware by now, with the COVID-19 pandemic the annual race event has gone virtual this year. Given the ability to run or walk the event wherever you are located the Illinois fan base has finally been vanquished from the top of the participants chart. For the first time since the event’s inception the Illini came all the way back in fourth place this year. Finishing at the top of the participant chart instead is our own fanbase. So three cheers for coming in at the top of the chart this season:

If you are one of the participants, feel free to let us know throughout the week when you complete your race. If you use a run tracker, drop a screenshot in the comments if you’d like. Let us know your bib number if you want, your finishing time, or just simply share you finished and survived the heat. I was thinking of trying to knock it out today myself, but pushed it back after seeing the heat index for today. When I do finish I’ll run an update on the article with my own brief recap, and maybe a scenic picture or two of the National Mall where I plan to run mine.

In the meantime, Go Green!

5K Race Is Done

It’s been a long time since I lasted my first two weeks of college as a walk-on with the Cross Country team, and that is also around the last time I ran a full 5K outdoors (or probably at all, honestly). Given I gave myself next to zero training for this I am fairly happy with my time, even if high school me would be laughing so hard at my finish time I probably would give him an asthma attack.

Waiting for Saturday evening was a great idea as I managed to catch quite the sky for my run. I’ve included a few photos as a gallery below in case you’re interested:

Grid View

• Here’s the start of my “race” just across 3rd Street NW from the Capitol Reflecting Pool at the “start” of the National Mall.
• Nice rays of sun shining through the clouds as you look out from the foot of the Washington Monument toward the Lincoln Memorial.
• And the view looking the opposite direction toward my starting point
• The White House (as if you didn’t all know that without my saying so)
• Here’s the WWII Memorial’s column for Michigan
• There was a couple doing an engagement photo shoot at the edge of the reflecting pool below the Lincoln Memorial, so I figured they would enjoy being featured on The Only Colors of course. Congrats to whoever you are!
• Looking back at the Washington Monument from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. To maximize my finish time I decided it was best to avoid running them as part of my race (and to maximize distancing from others).
• An American Airlines 737-800 on final approach into Ronald Reagan National just behind and above the Lincoln Memorial
• Washington DC’s (the city, not the national government) WWI Memorial
• The Jefferson Memorial across the reflecting pool covered in scaffolding as it undergoes major renovations.
• A bit beyond where I officially “finished” my race catching some more sun rays filtering in through the clouds.
• And a final parting shot of the US Capitol