Recap of the 35th Annual Crescent City Classic

I've been trying to post this recap for the past week but was having technical difficulties... I had to work late the day after the race and the next day we left on Spring Break vacation. I thought it would be easy to post from my iPhone or iPad but I couldn't get any of my pictures to post where I wanted them. So..if you have any suggestions for future post please leave me a comment. 

Anyway...on to my recap. :) 

Can I just tell you that The Crescent City Classic  was the most fun race I have run (with almost 17,000 of my closest friends lol) in a long time!! And it was the 35th Anniversary so they had medals for the finishers!!

On Friday morning Larisa, her hubby and I drove over to New Orleans. We worked the Gulf Coast Half/Woman's Half booth at the CCC expo. I was surprised at how big the expo was. There were several guest speakers and they offered free beer and free red beans and rice. One of my favorite apparel companies One More Mile was there. I also signed my hubby and myself up for A Run Through History Cemetery Run  that is this Sunday the 14th. 

Mindy, Larisa and I at the Expo

Jody, Stef and I at the Expo. 

Patrick House from The Biggest Loser

The next morning we woke up at 6am to get ready for the race. We had to walk a few blocks from our hotel to the start line. The trolleys weren't running that morning so we left the hotel around 7. A few blocks away you could hear the music coming from the start line. 

Here is what the start line looked like when we first walked up... 

Doesn't look that crowded does it?? 

These were some of the elite runners. 

And, this was the scene just past the start line... 

The start line was at the Superdome!! 

Thank goodness there were corrals this year!! We were able to locate our corral easily and get in line. I'm also thankful that they asked the walkers and strollers to start in the back. While I still had to dodge quite a few walkers and strollers I can't imagine what is has been like in the past before there were corrals for this race. 

Melanie, Larisa, and I before the start of the race. 

The race didn't start until around 8:15 due to some runners being stuck on buses in traffic. We started out in Corral F and crossed the start line around 8:27.  This is considered a party race so we saw all kinds of people...some dressed in costumes, some pulling coolers of beer on wagons. I love that we ran past the Cathedral, Cafe du Monde and the French Market.  

The race turned out to be hot and humid by mile 3 and I was thankful that there were water stations at every mile.  There was a firetruck on Esplanade that had its siren going and they were handing out jello shots. A little ways further down Esplanade I saw another group that had signs that offered "Free Beer, Water $4.95". Only in New Orleans will you find that lol. 

Along the whole route of the race there were crowds cheering for the runners! I loved that!! Once I crossed the finish line I came to a complete stop because there were so many runners lined up to receive their medals. This was the first year the CCC offered medals in honor of the 35th Anniversary.

After we picked up our medals we headed over to the Race Party! 

 

There was tons of food and beer available as well as awesome music!! 

Papa Grows Funk and Marc Broussard rocked the stage after the race!! 

Larisa had a pass to get into the VIP tent! 

The group celebrating a great race!! 

Do you see the lady behind me?? 

If you have ever thought about running in the Crescent City Classic I highly recommend it!!! Next time I hope I'm in a corral closer to the front to hopefully avoid all of the weaving... according to my Garmin Larisa and I actually ran 6.69 miles due to all of the weaving around the walkers and strollers. The course is flat and runs through the French Quarter...what could be better?? 

This race will be on my calendar every year!! 

~Shannon