The 29th Annual Los Alamitos Race on the Base took place last Saturday just like they said it would: “rain or shine”. The events included: a 5K Run, 10K Run, 5K Walk in cooperation with the Cancer Support Foundation, 10K In-Line Skate/Wheelchair, Mission: Kids Run, and the Reverse Triathlon which consisted of a 5K Run, 12 Mile Bike, and 200 Meter Swim at the USA Water Polo National Training Center on the Joint Forces Training Base.

Vendors were scheduled to arrive as early as 5 a.m. to begin their booth setup. Not only was it pouring rain at 5 a.m. it was also extremely windy. From what I could tell by observing the vendor area by the finish line, a majority of vendors did not show up due to the extreme weather.

One race participant said she almost didn’t come and she had wondered if the vendors would brave the weather or not. In speaking with the vendors who did attend, it was clear that they were the dedicated vendors committed to this crowd year after year. It was refreshing to see them come out and support the athletes; matching their commitment, regardless of the weather.

It took some commitment on the parent’s part as well to bring their kids out to the race in spite of the rainy day. There is always something special about watching excited little kids, and seeing them at the starting line doing some pre-race stretches was no exception. Some of the kids were serious runners sporting their long running tights under their shorts. Other kids were just having fun and some didn’t fully understand what was going on, but most were enjoying themselves nonetheless. Fortunately it was not raining during their race; after which they all received medals.

Last, but not least, was the reverse triathlon in which 761 athletes competed and finished. Due to the weather their course was not as predictable as they initially thought it would be. Imagine the challenge of riding a bike in the rain, let alone trying to win a race riding a bike in the rain. Mid-morning it stopped raining for a bit, but just as the athletes started the run portion of their triathlon the heavens opened up and drenched them again.

My admiration goes out to all 761 athletes who competed in spite of the challenging weather. Congratulations to the triathlon individuals who made it to the top five. MEN: Marcel Rinzler, Rahmam Weimer, Gregory Sorensen, Jason Bosinski and Gonzalo Puig WOMEN: Megan Monroy, Heidi Kraut, Julia Juliusson, Deena Bickford and Erin Earlywine.

Click here for complete race results.

All proceeds benefited the USA Water Polo National Training Center at the Joint Forces Training Base, with a portion of the proceeds from the 5K walk being donated to the 5K walk co-host: the Cancer Support Foundation.