The Gazelle Running Blog: Clamdigger 2023

Westerly, RI

Sunday, April 16, 2023

This would be my 12th time running the Clamdigger Road Races:

Clamdigger 5-Mile: 7 times, fastest time 30:20
Clamdigger 5K: 4 times, fastest time 17:47

From a club and Race Director perspective, this was the biggest turnout (318 registrants, 280 finishers) since at least the year 2000 when we started tracking full results, but based on what I could find in the archives, most likely the largest field ever (the race started in 1981, but we don't have the full results from the '80s and '90s). According to a Westerly Sun article, the 1986 Clamdigger was the largest at that time with 176 finishers. In more modern times, the 2001 Clamdigger had a then record 235 runners cross the finish line.

Besides stepped up marketing this year, we largely attribute this year's record turnout to three new groups: new lead sponsor Orthopedic Partners who brought in physical therapists and quite a few employees that ran the race, a local "Team Pink" that brought in 30 runners and walkers, and competitive youth team Rumford Runners.

As a side-note, I sometimes get frustrated when I hear the "old timers" WTAC men repeatedly state how the winning times at our races these days are so slow or how if they ran today, they would be winning all these races easily. So for a fun exercise, I took a look at the winning times from those three aforementioned record field size years, both overall male and my age group:

Yes, this is a small sample of only three years, but it's real data
and not cherry picked. Sure, we've had some years with "soft"
winning times, but we also have some competitive years with
times comparable or faster than the "good ol' days".

Ending my rant and returning to my own race report:

Temp at start was 55°F. No wind to speak of at 5.5mph, but humidity was a mild factor at 92%. I told myself I would be happy with a sub-30 performance (6-flat average pace), but really I would push towards my 5M PR of 29:18 (2022, Hangover Classic, Bristol, RI).

Start to Breachway (Mile 1.5): Thank you to WPD to temporarily closing a short section of Atlantic Avenue in both directions for a safe start. Pete from SNERRO started the race for his last time, as he's selling his 50% stake at the end of this year and retiring.

And we're off. Most of us behind the Rumford Runners
(red singlets) that blasted out.
---
All pics courtesy of Jana, unless otherwise attributed.

A few young teens from Rumford blasted out, followed by Matthew and his former UNH teammate Andrew, Jonny Eckel, and then Nick. I followed Nick for almost a mile before passing him. Mile split at the digital clock (thank you West family for manning this): 5:33

OK, that mile was a little too fast and not sustainable. One of the Rumford Runners was coming back to us. Jonny passed him, and then I did as well. I followed Jonny as far as Breach Drive, where he turned left for the 5K course and I continued on to Weekapaug Breachway and bridge.

Weekapaug Loop (Miles 1.5 to 3.5): Turning just past the bridge onto Wawaloam, I could see Andrew ahead of me. The top Rumford Runner was also running the 5K, so it was Andrew 2nd and me 3rd. Matthew was far ahead nowhere to be seen.

Shara and family were at the ocean overlook on Spray Rock Road cheering runners on, including myself. This is always encouraging during a race. Mile 2 was a more moderate 5:51, but Mile 3 was a much too slow 6:00, and I told myself that a PR was off the table. Why so slow? Mile 3 is the only one with "hills", but the hills are just a 35' climb. Probably just subconsciously slowed with the race only half over and running as an island with no one in sight anymore.

Thanks Shara for this pic of me running
early in Mile 3 on Spray Rock Road,
with ocean in the background.

Felt good running the ever so slight 20' downhill on Fenway, then headed back to Weekapaug Breachway, where I once again saw Shara and family, as well as received some encouragement from Jeff Huckle.

Mile 3.5, at the Weekapaug Bridge.
Form still looks good.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Huckle.

Breachway to finish: All right, hang in there now for 1 1/2 miles on Atlantic Ave to the finish line. Ran into back-of-the-pack 5K runners and walkers. Was surprised to see some still coming at me. Not really an issue, since they were spread out by now.

Mile 4 split was 5:43. Well, that's more like it! Maybe a PR is still in reach? It feels good to be passing so many runners, but the downside that I often forget is that like triathlons, just passing people doesn't mean that I'm actually running fast. I turn into the parking lot, past my Mom marshaling the runners, and cross the finish line on the packed sand. I glance at my watch: 29:17!! A one second PR?

Finishing strides

Certainly looks I'm giving it my all,
at least at the finish

Final result: 29:18, 3rd overall of 87, 1st in age group. Full results here.

I thought I had earned a new PR, but it seems like I ended up tying my previous PR to the exact second. This is where I usually rant to myself about "I couldn't find a single second out there on the course?!". But I'm taking a different tact this time and claiming this as my new 5M PR. Here's my logic: the previous PR race was not certified (Clamdigger is), my GPS distance in that previous race was 4.99 miles (today's Clamdigger GPS was 5.05M) and of the 8 other runners grouped with me in Strava in last year's Hangover Classic 5M, only one had a distance more than 5M, and several had GPS distances of 4.96M.

So a great day out there all around. 21 kids had fun at the free kids' beach run, a record turnout overall, decent weather, and a PR time for me!