Battle of the Bean 5k

01/21/2023

Kansas City, MO

The 2023 season is upon us now! The Battle of the Bean 5k marks the first race of the new year. Anymore in running though, there is no offseason. Our last race was just three weeks ago, but it really felt like last year. See what I did there?

The year really could not be off to a better start. We got to see so many of our friends at the Battle of the Bean and we made new ones. A big shout out to Back of the Pack Podcast & KC Hustle Club Ambassadors who came out. Ambassadors Sarah, Alex, Amanda, and Will were all at this morning's race.

Any time you run a race in January, you are at the mercy of Mother Nature. You never know what she may or may not throw your way. I would say that we were pretty fortunate this Saturday morning. Sure it was cold. A frosty kind of cold. The best part of this though was that there was NO wind! Those flags on the pole were lying as still as they could. Given some of the wind around here these last two weeks, this was a huge victory!

I have run this race before, but not since it was moved to its new location in Kansas City, MO. I know this area though and it is a hilly son of a gun. The course though, while certainly featuring some hills, ran through some very nice neighborhoods. You start in a shopping center, run by some nice houses, and then finish right back where you started. Badda Boom Badda Bing.

The medal given out to the finishers is very nice. A fun little medal. The age division awards were REALLY impressive! If you are one who competes for age division awards, this is the race for you. Not that I would know anything about it, but I know someone else who won! Their trophy was nice.

The best part of this race though was after everyone crossed the finish line. A big group of folks went over to the local coffee shop. We drank coffee, warmed ourselves up, and talked running for an hour or more after the race had concluded.

Building up our running community is so important. I am thankful that we as the Back of the Pack Podcast and KC Hustle Club are coming onto the scene so that we can join with everyone else in revitalizing our area. The Rona tried to knock us down, but it failed! We are coming back and if this race morning was any indication, we will be back better than ever!

We are back in two weeks for the Kickoff 5k. Here is hoping that the weather cooperates with us. It will already be February if you can believe that?!?!

Everyone have a great two weeks of training! We’ll see you at the starting line!