As much as I would love to believe the Angels 5k is a full 5k course, it’s not. It’s 3 miles. That doesn’t make it a bad course, and in fact, it’s one of the most unique races out there. But you must also realize, it’s not 3.1 miles. Going through the Angels stadium, you’ll likely lose GPS signal so your watch will record it as even less. Usually, mine records it around 2.85 miles. It’s longer than that, but still not 3.1 miles.
Before the Angels 5k:
I was excited to go down to Anaheim. There was traffic, surprise surprise, but for the most part, it was a low-key drive. We got to the stadium around 4 pm, went through gate 3, and quickly picked up our packet. For picking up a race packet on game day, it’s surprisingly fast. Other races take note. From there, we got sushi at one of my favorite restaurants, Kabuki, and then relaxed at our hotel watching the Olympic Trials.
Thankfully, the Angels 5k starts at 8 am, so we were able to sleep in. We got to the race around 7 am and did about a 3-mile warmup; I wouldn’t advise getting there any later. After some announcements, the Angels 5k started around 8:05.
Angels 5k Race:
The Angels 5k is one of the most chaotic races I’ve ever done. It was like that last year too. There were 5000 people who ran, and many are baseball fans, not runners. Great! But a lot of people take the race out way too fast. Plus, you funnel through narrow ticket booths and there were a few almost collisions. The number of turns on the Angels 5k course makes it not a fast course at all. I was surprised when I hit the first mile in 6:15. Really surprised.
The second mile weaves around the stadium and then goes into the actual stadium. You run up onto, I believe, the fourth floor (the only hill). I found myself as the 8th woman overall. It was hard to tell, and I guessed I was top 10. As we were in the stadium, I lost GPS. My watch said I ran a 7:15 second mile and also said I had about 20 seconds of non-moving time. As we went back to the ground, I powered down the downhill and passed two women.
The final mile of the Angels 5k goes back around the stadium and onto the warning track. I was pushing as hard as I could. It felt hard, but I also felt smooth and comfortable. I saw my husband jogging the opposite way and yelled for him. As we rounded the final bend, I saw the clock ticking in the 18s and I knew the Angels 5k course was once again short. I crossed the Angels 5k in 19:03.
Angels 5k Thoughts:
I would love to say 19:03 is my current 5k time, but then I would be lying to myself. Honestly, it’s hard to believe I even ran 3 miles in 19:03. But, looking at my first mile (6:15) and my last mile (6:21), the middle mile was the hardest in the stadium, but I likely still averaged around a 6:22 pace or a 19:46 5k on a full course. It’s hard to believe that after so many years of not being in that fitness, I might be getting back there. Would I recommend the Angels 5k? Yes, it’s one of my favorite 5ks of the summer. You just have to recognize it’s not going to be a full 5k and it’s pure chaos. But how many times do you get to run around a professional baseball field?
You can see Strava here and all race recaps here.
Questions for you:
Have you run a race in a stadium?
Wha is your favorite 5k?