The T-bone route has vanished for a run that is traditionally well done.
Welcome to a revamped Carlsbad 5000 being held on April 7, as the 38th edition of this iconic race arrives with a fresh course.
The 3.1-mile trek through Carlsbad also guarantees that you won’t have to cool your jets for passing trains.
The route was moved to the other side of the tracks, with an out-and-back approach that hugs the coastline with a finish under the Carlsbad sign that hovers over Carlsbad Boulevard.
The change was contemplated for years as the event searched for ways to avoid the north- and south-bound obstacles. Occasionally, during races, the sound of a train whistle meant legs stopped churning, and stopwatches were punched to suspend one’s time.
Roosevelt Cook was cruising to an age-group victory in 2022 when his 40-yard lead vanished quicker than the pints at the post-race party at Pizza Port. With a train approaching, Cook went idle, only to prevail after a sprint to the finish.
Sometimes the trains were on schedule, often they weren’t. But not even the sea of limbs that turns downtown Carlsbad into a different kind of Legoland could slow Casey Jones and the other conductors.
The switch was needed, but it came with some nostalgic pains of erasing warm recollections and jaw-dropping performances.
“We thought we might get some blowback, especially among the runners that have done the event so many times,” said Griff Smith, the race director. “But actually, they knew of the problems and were all for it.”
The original route, which was partly constructed by Steve Scott, the legendary distance runner and one of the Carlsbad 5000’s founding fathers, produced a slew of big moments.
The Carlsbad 5000 became known as the fastest 5K in the world and the numbers don’t fib. Since the first wave heard “on your mark, get set, go!” in 1986, 16 world records and eight national marks have been established.
“The memories and milestones are etched in our hearts and record books forever,” said Meb Keflezighi, the noted marathon champion serving as a Carlsbad 5000 ambassador.
The Carlsbad 5000’s legacy is speed, and the times this spring might be quicker after organizers sprung the revised course on the 8,000 registered participants.
Those runners don’t have to tangle with trains and have three fewer turns to navigate.
On the spectator side, boosters can cheer on their favorite cardio-craving runners from the same area in the heart of Carlsbad Village.
The start and finish lines are just steps from each other, a plus for those who leave the running or walking to others.
Runners will now embark from Grand Avenue and Carlsbad Boulevard, turn around at the volleyball courts at Tamarack Avenue, and then head for the tape at Carlsbad Village Drive and Carlsbad Boulevard.
Masters women runners, 40 and over, get things started at 7 a.m. on race day, and then there’s wave after wave of those sweating and smiling up until the elite races after high noon.
Smith, 29, got so smitten with the runner’s high that he recently ran his first New York City Marathon.
Now, Leucadia’s Smith will oversee the Carlsbad 5000 for the third year as part of his family’s business, Groundwork Endurance.
“It’s been fun working in this environment,” said Smith, a La Costa Canyon High graduate. “It’s cool to promote health, fitness and wellness.”
The Carlsbad 5000 also raises funds for Ainsley’s Angels, which provides racing wheelchairs to those in need.
It’s a win-win for many, as Groundwork Endurance has the Carlsbad 5000 rolling down the track.
Contact Jay Paris at [email protected] and follow him @jparis_sports
