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After last Sunday's Cherry Tree 10 miler
Yesterday Esther and I returned to Prospect Park for the Al Gordon Classic, our second Brooklyn race in a week. Driving in on Flatbush Avenue we were impressed with the enthusiasm of some heading to the race. Although it’s a common site on race mornings to see a line of runners heading to the start an hour before the race is scheduled to start, we saw a few on Prospect Park West running to the park wearing backpacks.
Arriving early and finding a parking spot easily, this week, we did a slow walk in adjusting to the morning chill – it seemed colder than Sunday. We noticed two things, NYRR laid the park out differently for this four-mile race than the Prospect Park Track Club did for the Cherry Tree 10 miler. Obviously a three loop ten-mile race requires different logistics than a four miler. The other was seeing new faces, many of the familiar faces from Central Park races were absent, replaced by new in many cases, younger ones.
I’m not sure if this was because many did not want to trek to Park Slope and were replaced local Brooklyn runners, or they passed on this four-miler in February. Which makes me wonder, why aren’t more races held in Prospect Park? Since road races provide a logistical challenge, wouldn’t using a large park, near mass transit, in a vibrant area provide a suitable alternative?
After yesterday's Al Gordon Classic
Many runners complain about the parking challenge in Park Slope, but it’s no worse than parking around Central Park on a Saturday. Both parks are accessible by several subway lines, although there always seems to be weekend service issues with the F Train, with planning you can get there. Both parks have solid local running communities. As for the park itself, Prospect Park is a mini Central Park. The loop is 3.33 miles with a challenging hill and there is never an absence of runners, cyclists and walkers, regardless of the season.
Esther and I planned a day around yesterday’s race. After the race, we showered at a nearby New York Sports Club, and headed to a Weight Watcher’s meeting, part of our Saturday routine. We met a friend and went to brunch in one of the many restaurants in the area. We had such a great time, we plan to return, well before the Brooklyn Half in May.