Martinsville’s Harvest Moon

The main reason why I’ve never run the Martinsville Harvest Moon race before now was that it was a 10K that started at 7PM and I have never been able to complete a 10K in under an hour.  I was afraid I would end up a lone straggler limping along the Dick and Willie Trail after dark.  According to Athlinks, my best time ever was 1 hour and 9 minutes (when I was in good shape). This year they added a 5K and a virtual race.  The 5K meant that I could expect to finish before sunset so I couldn’t resist the chance to see the Dick and Willie  Rail Trail.

The race actually starts  on the Uptown Connection Trail and goes down .6 miles to join with the Dick & Willie.  Mother and I got there early and had time to walk from the start of the race down to see the intersection with the actual Dick & Willie Rail Trail and back.

There are interesting things to see along the way on this part of the trail.  DeShazo’s Silo has a placard along the Uptown Connection Trail explaining how, although it is called a silo, it was actually an incinerator for the DeShazo Lumber Company which closed in 1971.

The Uptown Connection Trail intersects with the Silverbell Trail  just before meeting up with the actual Dick & Willie Trail. The Silverbell Trail is a short trail, half a mile, but we didn’t have time to see it and the artwork that is supposed to be along the way.  That would have to wait for another day.

At the end of the Uptown Connection Trail, you can continue onto the Dick & Willie Trail but we turned around and headed back to get ready for the race.

I usually carry a small point and click with me when I run but I knew that light conditions would be too poor for that so I took a couple of pictures before the race with my phone.

Weather was perfect.  They had two beer selections, Coors Light and something from Devil’s Backbone, and music played on a PA system.

When it was time for the race, they brought out a map to be sure that the 5K’ers and 10K’ers, who would start at the same time, understood which way to go for their particular race.

The path was easy for the 5K.  They had a water station where the Uptown Connection Trail met the Dick & Willie Trail that would point people in the right direction at the right time and there was a volunteer at a cone that was the 5K turnaround that made sure that we all turned when we were supposed to (the 10K’ers had higher number bibs).

I finished before the sun set and then caught this blurry shot a little while later of a runner crossing the finish line.  They had an event photographer at the finish to take everyone’s photo. His photos are posted on the Miles In Martinsville Facebook Page.

It was a good race and I would highly recommend it if you are considering running it in a future year.  The Dick & Willie Trail is beautiful and fun to run with some company like this. For more information on The Dick & Willie Trail, check out “Virginia Rail Trails: Crossing The Commonwealth”.

If you like small town races with local flavor, the next one coming up is the Run With The Cows 5K at the Chinqua-Penn Walking Trail in Reidsville, NC. Unlike most 5K’s, this one is on a Sunday afternoon.  While this is down in North Carolina, the history of the property there has some regional roots.