Loaded Hog 5k

 

After the aborted ironman I found myself with strength to bicycle and run in Auckland.  In fact, Juergen even found us a 5k running event in downtown Auckland on Tuesday night.

 

The Loaded Hog 5k is a really clever little event.  An upscale waterfront bar hosts the event every Tuesday evening at 6pm.   Runners pay NZ$6 (450-yen) to enter the race which goes out-and-back along the harbor, starting and finishing at the bar.  Then, upon finishing the 5k, the runners head to the bar's waterfront patio and trade their numbers for a pint of beer (or soft drink), creating a nice little social event.    At 7pm awards and random prizes are handed out.  The whole thing is quite friendly and casual and convenient, for the price of a drink you get a race thrown in.

 

I jogged the 5k with Takako - finishing in about 24 minutes, toward the back of the field of 150.  As I expected there were a lot of strong runners in a little event like this in New Zealand.   Juergen finished in 10th place in a strong time of 17:47.  Many of the NZ runners noticed my body mark numbers which I still haven't completely washed off from the triathlon.  Everyone was very knowledgeable about the ironman and very sympathetic.  This is really a fine country despite the unstable weather.