Fox 8 Fox Trot

This was my first time ever visiting the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. I arrived with only about half an hour to spare, not feeling too worried about parking or logistics, and headed straight to the start line. I already had my bib attached and was ready to go, so I lined up right at the front of the corral. That’s something I don’t usually do, but I wanted to avoid getting stuck behind any early-course congestion. Plus, I felt like I had a good shot at placing high or taking home an age-group award today.

Right before the start, Yvette Nicole Brown gave a quick welcome, and we were off pretty much right on time. I had heard a few other runners talking in the corral about a big hill that climbs all the way to the halfway turnaround. Realizing I hadn't looked closely at the course elevation profile ahead of time, I knew I needed to keep that incline in mind. Still, I bolted out of the gate very fast.

As we began the initial climb, my breathing was already heavy, and I started worrying that I had gone out way too fast. Fortunately, the incline leveled off a bit around mile 1. The route wound through various animal habitats decorated with paper lantern animal displays and music playing along the course.

Leading up to the 1.5-mile turnaround, the course hit a truly daunting climb. Even at a walking pace, it would have been tough. I kept my eyes fixed on the two or three runners just ahead of me and focused entirely on grinding to the top. My strategy was simple: push hard to the halfway point, then let gravity do the work on the way back down.

Once I made the turn at 1.5 miles and headed back down, I mentally turned off the brakes. Doing this down a steep hill feels unstable, but I managed to catch my breath and maintain my pace without overthinking it. I should note that the course itself was a bit confusing with various twists and turns. Even though the course map looked simple, running it felt slightly disorienting, especially while dodging mid-pack runners on the narrower two-way sections. Luckily, there were plenty of course marshals and small arrow signs pointing the way.

Around mile 2, the course leveled out, and I continued riding the downhill momentum as best as I could while keeping an eye out for course arrow signs. With about a tenth of a mile to go, I could hear the finish area and tackled one final mini incline.

As the finish line clock came into my view, I was shocked to see 18:30. Given how tough that climb was, I wasn't expecting a PR. I dug in for the final stretch and crossed the line at 18:46, nabbing another new personal record!

I ended up finishing 4th overall and taking 1st place in my age group. While the course layout was a bit confusing and that hill was pretty rough, it was a fun way to experience the zoo.