A few weekends ago, i completed the Amway Riverbank Run 25K in Grand Rapids, MI.
I am not a highly sentimental person. I believe in traveling light, literally AND figuratively. As such, even if GR was the first place Gianina and i ever lived (also where our son was born) in the US and the and “should” probably serve as some sort of emotional anchor… it essentially was “just another place.” I know that makes me sound like a callous a-hole, but it is what it is.
What i AM though, is task-oriented. If there is something that needs doing, i try to finish the job to the best of my ability. The result may not necessarily be what was expected or desired; heck, it might not even be a “good job,” but at least i did my best and finished it. And then i move on.
After running the Grand Rapids Marathon back in 2010, my next goal was to run what is arguably GR’s “more famous” race: the Fifth Third Riverbank Run 25K. 25K is an unusual distance and i’ve never really been curious enough to look up how they decided on it. Still, it was “only” 15.6 miles, considerably less than 26.2, and should have been relatively easy for me to do, six months after the marathon. Unfortunately, due to an infatuation with trying to change my stride - “barefoot running” was beginning to rise in popularity at the time - i got saddled with one injury after another. Finally, in 2012, we moved to Pittsburgh, PA. And so i never got to do it.
Over the next decade, i would intermittently check the date of the race to see if there was any way i could squeeze it into my schedule. For thirteen years, it just didn’t work out. Then, late last year, while going through my 2026 schedule, i noticed that i had a little window to take off from work in early May. I checked the race schedule: it was exactly on that Saturday! Perfect, enough time to get in and out!
So, arrangements were made, and Gianina and i made our way to GR on a Thursday night. Friday was spent driving around town to see if we could recognize anything. By and large the “bones” of the city are the same, but it’s clear that it’s growing and thriving. Good for them.
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| Had to have AI remove some legs in the background. |
Saturday morning rolled around. I started the race. I relentlessly followed the run-walk-run (RIP Jeff Galloway) method with a 3:1 ratio, starting out with the 11:30 pace group and ending up in front of the 11:00 pace group. Close to three hours later, i was done.
I’d like to attribute it to better conditioning, but i was barely sore after the race and was able to ambulate at a get-together with some friends without stumbling around like Forrest Gump before the leg braces.
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| Some of our good friends in West MI. |
RACE NOTES:
The expo experience was pleasant enough. Nothing fancy, no wall of names or any live entertainment. Just the packet pickup, exhibitors, running store booths, and free samples. Amway was giving away these massive sample bags of health and beauty products. Fine by me.
IMHO the Amway Grand Hotel is probably one of the best places to stay for this particular race. The starting line is a block away, and the finish line is quite literally at the hotel’s doorstep. With the 25K slated to begin at 8:30 AM, Gianina and I walked out of the hotel and ambled over to the starting line. We were there in 15 minutes. There was no security to speak of, and she was able to stay with me right until i started running. The gun went off exactly at 8:30. I’ve said this before, and i’ll say it again: small races FTW!
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| In our hotel room. That is literally the final stretch of the race out the window. |
Race day conditions were mostly ideal. We started out in the low 50s. There was a little drizzle ten minutes in that cleared up quickly. We ended in the mid 60s.
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| Decked out in my pre-race throwaway sweater and scrub pants. |
The course was mostly flat. I don’t recall any particularly punishing hills. Over half of it was run through parks, which were pleasantly shaded. There was about a two-mile stretch at the end (getting back into the city) that had zero shade, it probably would have been brutal if it were warmer.
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| Wishing that i had brought a pair of sunglasses. |
There were aid stations supplied with water and Gatorade every two miles. I believe they were handing out gels at around mile 6, but it was that honey thing that i’ve never used, so i didn’t partake. I wondered why they were handing it out so early though, and i don’t recall any more gels at subsequent stations. There were tents with entertainers every few miles. Nothing crazy, but i surely appreciated it.
The post-race festivities were held at the Devos Place, which is just one block over from the Amway Grand. The bib came with a coupon for a free beverage, but we didn’t go.
To paraphrase the late great Kobe Bryant: job’s finished. Time to move on.
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| Walking away from the finish, time to leave it all behind. |
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| Sushi lunch after the race. |
