Carlsbad 5000 (20:42)

I haven’t run the Carlsbad 5000 in two years. When I ran in 2021, I had just recovered from a serious case of the flu less than a month before. That might not seem like a huge deal, but because my case was more severe, it took me almost eight months to fully recover. Needless to say, my race two years ago went terribly. I distinctly remember dry heaving around the halfway mark and having one of my worst races ever. So, the bar for having a “good race” at the Carlsbad 5000 was quite low. And really that was the only goal.

I guessed I could probably run between 20:30-21 minutes, but I didn’t realize they had changed the course until I got to the Carlsbad 5000 expo. It’s funny, this year I ran exactly 1 minute faster than two years ago, and I took the race harder two years ago. Two years ago at the Carlsbad 5000, I just faded…hard!

Before the Carlsbad 5000:

The day before, it was a long drive to Carlsbad. Carlsbad is about three hours from my house in the desert, but I made a pitstop to pick up my husband at LAX (seriously true love is picking your spouse up at LAX). So, it turned into about 4.5-5 hours of driving that day.

We arrived around 2:30 at the expo, got our bibs, walked around Carlsbad for a bit, and then went to get dinner and chill. It was a fairly low-key evening with nothing major happening.

Carlsbad 5000 Race:

As mentioned, they changed the Carlsbad 5000 race course for 2024. Now, it doesn’t cross the train tracks, but it also has only one 180-degree turn. I think the 2024 Carlsbad 5000 race course is harder because there is a 40 foot hill at mile 2.

Why is the Carlsbad 5000 known as the worlds fastest 5k? Carlsbad 5000 is touted as the world’s fastest 5k, not because it’s a “fast course,” but because a lot of competitive racers attend. There are races for masters women, masters men, open women, open men, a people’s race, and a pro race. There are a lot of races and a lot of competition. The old course wasn’t easy, but I find the new course to be harder. It goes downhill for the first mile, stays flat for the second, and climbs a 40-foot hill for the third mile. Forty feet isn’t bad, unless you are running at pace uphill. Think of hill sprints but having to keep going. I digress.

This year, the women’s race was almost 90 minutes earlier, at 8:40 (versus 10:08 in 2021). I can’t say I minded. I warmed up about three miles, decided to race in the ASICS Metaspeed Edge Paris, and headed to the Carlsbad 5000.

I was weirdly nervous, as if I would feel the same way I felt in 2021. I also knew that the mile 2-ish hill was going to hurt. From there, we were off. I took the first mile of the Carlsbad 5000 out in 6:30. It’s wild to look in front of you running a 6:30 pace and see a sea of women. Honestly, I appreciate racing with fast women.

I was feeling pretty smooth during the second mile. Seeing the leaders coming back was motivating, and I hit halfway at 10:15. I knew I wouldn’t be negative splitting, but one can hope for miracles, LOL.

As we approached the hill, a young girl was fading, and I said, “This is the hardest part.” She took off like a rocket and ended about 20 seconds in front of me. I also saw my husband as we climbed up the hill. My lungs were burning, and I wanted to walk. I actually can’t remember a time in the last year or two that my lungs and body hurt that much running. I knew I was working hard. But I pushed on and up, over the hill.

The last half-mile felt like it was taking forever. I crossed mile 3 of the Carlsbad 5000 in 6:42 (I was honestly shocked I ran up that fast) and finished in 20:42. I haven’t felt racing 5k pain since last year (although the Screenland 5k was a different kind of pain). It really was one of the most painful (lactic acid wise) races I’ve done in a while.

Carlsbad 5000 Thoughts:

I’m happy to run faster than two years ago on a harder course. After looking through a few elite splits, I don’t think anyone negative split, so that makes me feel better. I think the Carlsbad 5000 would be an actual fast course if we went in the opposite direction, with the first half uphill and the second half downhill.

Anyway, even though I came in within my range, I think I was also secretly hoping to be faster than that. Breaking 20 minutes feels so far away, although I know an easier course is good for at least 20 seconds. All in all, I’m happy with my effort there.