I’ve competed at the Allen Stone Run Swim Run several times throughout the years. From age 21 when I won, to age 22 when I DNFed with a stress fracture. Fast forward a few years and this year I was third overall. It was probably the hottest and most humid time I’ve raced.
Alas, I no longer live in Virginia or the East Coast, so the Allen Stone Run Swim Run is a very long commute. We were in town anyway for a retirement, so I was excited to compete again (the last time being in 2021). I had some serious jet lag and wasn’t feeling the best, but hey, what can you do? Plus, it was on my birthday and I can’t really complain with doing one of my favorite races on my birthday.
The Allen Stone Run Swim Run is a 1k run on the beach, 1k swim in the ocean, and 5k run on the concrete boardwalk.
About the race:
Originally called the Braveheart Run-Swim-Run, it was renamed in honor of Allen Stone, a local Navy SEAL who competed in and won the event in 1999. Tragically, Allen passed away shortly after during a SEAL training exercise. Since then, the race has become a way for the community to remember his service, his spirit, and the energy he brought to everything he did.
Before the Allen Stone Run Swim Run:
We arrived around 7 a.m. for the 8:15 Allen Stone Run Swim Run start. The Allen Stone 5k goes off at 7:45. Before that, they read the names of fallen Navy SEALs. It’s always sobering. The parachuters come down with the American flag.
After that, I started my warm-up, and within the first mile, I was profusely sweating. I haven’t sweat that much in a long time…I mean a long time and it was just mile 1 of a warmup. My body also didn’t feel great, and I just tried to focus on what did feel good. After that, it was almost time to start. I decided to cool off in the ocean before heading to the start line on the beach.
Allen Stone Run Swim Run Race Recap:
We were off right at 8:15 for our 1k sand run. To be honest, I didn’t have the best start nor the best run. I felt very disjointed and I was really struggling with the sand. I guess after running in the desert for so many years, the sand has taken a toll on me ha ha. The other thing about running on the beach is you don’t use shoes, which can be interesting. I’m usually fine, but I have heard of people getting PF due to the soft sand and no cushion.
I averaged 7:53 pace for the sandy run. I didn’t fall, thankfully, but I did not run well. I would have thought I could run a full minute faster, but it was just a rough start for me.
As we entered the swim, I knew this was the part that would get me. While I swam in college, I am not toward the front of swimming races. I’ve been swimming once a week in the pool if I’m lucky. I just focused on one hand in front of the other. The water felt super refreshing and I was glad to cool off before the 5k. In all, my swim was fine. I think I swam around 17 minutes, including the run in and out of the water, which for where I’m at now is fine but it’s not competitive. A lot of people that compete in this race are strong swimmers, so I knew I would lose a few spots in that.
I came out of the water as the 8th woman overall. Despite not feeling great, I knew I could make up some time in the run. I actually grabbed my handheld with Tailwind because it was so hot.
Immediately on the run, I honed in on the woman in front of me. There was zero shade and I was roasting on the boardwalk, but something about having people to chase is motivating. In the first mile, I passed two women. My first mile was 6:38 and I was slightly disappointed, despite knowing it was very hot. I kept telling myself to keep pushing and onto the next.
I kept plugging along, and at the turnaround, I was told I was third woman overall. I saw the two women ahead and they were definitely out of reach, so I just focused on maintaining third. I hit the second mile in 6:53.
The last mile felt rough. I passed a few people, and a few men passed me. It was motivating to be around people. I crossed the Allen Stone Run Swim Run finish line as third woman overall.
Allen Stone Run Swim Run Thoughts:
I’m happy with third, and you never know who will show up. I will say I was slightly disappointed with my run time of around 21 minutes because I actually ran faster three years ago. It’s silly because we know the weather was much hotter and much worse. Even though I’ve wrote a dozen articles about running in the heat, it can be hard to remember when you are in the thick of it. Plus, the next day I got my period, which makes sense of why I was so low energy and sensitive to the heat.Anyway, it was a great way to spend my birthday morning.
You can see Strava here and all race recaps here.
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Questions for you:
Have you done a multisport race?
Have you ever run on the beach?