The 3k Three

 

 

The Silver Strider online presents
 

 

The 3k, My Favorite Distance

 

 

By Jerry Dietrich
With logo by Bruce Fisher
I hope you had as much fun on the Cushman Trail as I did. When I moved to Gig Harbor 20 years ago, I had been competing in Las Vegas. I pretty much dominated my age group there. I had been State Champ at 10k and the Senior games many times and won many half marathons and 5k’s also.

San Diego 1982
Before we moved to Las Vegas, Betty and I lived in San Diego and the competition there was fierce. I won my share but It was not unusual to see me finish second or third master. The races were always large and many times runners were from out of town. I peaked at age 48 belonging to Team Phoenix, getting uniforms and shoes comped from Nike through the Sports Page Running Store courtesy of Ron Mirolla, my sponsor.

I ran hundreds of races during my years in San Diego, but only finished first overall once. It was the Balboa Park 3k.

I was entered in the Balboa Park 10k, a hilly challenging course. Billy Mills had trained there prior to his 10k victory at the Olympics. I felt I could break 40 minutes on this tough course because my training had been going very well. I was really Looking forward to racing the top masters.

When they announced the race was going to be delayed an hour and a half because of traffic problems on the course, I felt sick. I was going to be forced to switch to the 3k at 8:00 am, or not race at all. I had to be at work at 10:00 a.m.

The 3k was flat and fast but I was disappointed to be switching from the race I had trained for. When I lined up for the start of the 3k I saw some familiar faces and a few top women masters. Most of the field looked like high school age, probably from local cross country teams. It looked like about 200 runners.

The gun went off and I found myself blindly sprinting out with the leaders, taking my frustration out with a too fast start. Balboa Boulevard was closed for the race and the first half mile was straight and flat. When we made the first turn there were about ten of us in the lead pack but I felt the finish would decide everything at this distance. We did a flat loop around the park and runners were dropping from the lead pack.

When I made the final turn for the finishing half mile down Balboa Boulevard, I found myself alone and accelerating. I was completely on adrenaline. My feet barely touched the ground. The spectators lining the street were applauding. It was like my wildest dream only much better. The louder the applause, the faster my leg turnover. The thought of being passed was not even a question in my mind.

I barely negotiated a 90 degree turn with 40 yards to go. I broke the tape and felt no fatigue at all.

I checked my official time. It was 11:15. I had no idea what that pace was, but I didn’t think I had ran that fast before.

I had a new favorite distance. When my name was in the newspaper the following day, friends were congratulating me at work.

I ran many races during my next 7 years living in San Diego but never achieved anything close to that accidental victory in Balboa Park. I never entered another 3k. The shorter distance offered at races was always 5k and I always found my competition in the 10k.

Olympia – 2024
It had been 42 years since my last 3k. It was a bitter-sweet reunion. I was now walking and was in last instead of first. To my surprise, I loved the distance. I did it with ease and felt great afterward. I wanted more.

I had been wanting to put on a 5k race in Gig Harbor for years, but the course I wanted to utilize was about 300 yards short.

One day, as I was researching past Grand Prix Series races, I was suddenly aware that Dale Hall was wearing his series t-shirt at every race. So I began looking for photos of Dale. The more I looked, the more I found. As I lay awake that night, I suddenly got an idea. How about a race in Dale’s honor utilizing the course I had longed to conduct a race on. I would make it a 3k.

I didn’t want a large field for the race. I had new timing equipment and was a little unsure of myself. Except for a couple of recent small handicap races, it had been 38 years since I directed an open race.

Race day came and all of Dale’s friends were there. I had required pre-race registration and knew how many and who would be there. When the race was over everyone looked fresh and enthusiastic. Conversations were plentiful and we had bananas, cookies and water. The trophies went 4 deep and we had a drawing with 15 prizes.

What a great day it was. Some of us went to Moctezuma Restaurant for lunch.

I wanted to do it again next year.

That night as I lay awake I once again started to think about Dale. That led my thoughts another Silver Strider booster, Dennis Zaborac and the the Boomer Series. Everyone wore Boomer shirts at those races. Our series participation was at an all-time high. Recently it was down since the Covid pandemic and we needed a shot in the arm.

The Ambassador Series was my brainstorm. The 3k distance would be a solution to my Super Athlete dilemma and now I wanted it to be part of the Series and TOP IO.

In order for the 3k to be a viable part of the Super Athlete program we had to have 3 or 4 races in our Series that would be 3k in length.

THE PLAN

Everyone I talked to, who did the Dale Hall race liked the Cushman Trail. I decided to scatter three races throughout the year, catering to Super Athletes, Series participants and 3k lovers like myself.

I asked a couple of friends what type of race they preferred. There were three.
1. Trophies, drawings and prizes. An entry fee of around $40
2. A no frills race. Your time. A single item drawing. Some refreshments. Entry fee $15.
3. A moderate frills race. Trophies or plaques for 1st with ribbons for 2nd and 3rd. Refreshments and a 3 item drawing. Entry fee around $30.
One runner said they all sounded good, so I thought why not have all three?

Result .. The Ambassador 3k Three

March 29, 2025 – Ambassador 3k One
This is a no frills race for the thrifty runner. Includes timing, refreshments, and certification for Top IO and Super Athlete. Also, points in the 2025 Ambassador Series are included. A drawing for a $50 gift Certificate to Fleet Feet Sports completed the amenities.
ENTRY FEE $15* – DOR $20

May 10, 2025 – Ambassador 3k Two
A more conventional race. Timing, post-race refreshments, certification for Top IO and Super Athlete are included. Trophies to the winner of each age group from 50 to 94, and ribbons for 2nd and 3rd. A drawing for a free entry to the Iron Horse Half Marathon and a drawing for a $50 Fleet Feet gift certificate, are included.
ENTRY FEE $30* – DOR $35

October 18 2025 – Ambassador 3k Three
More amenities are offered at this event. Timing, post-race refreshments, certification for Top IO and Super Athlete are included. A drawing for free entry to the Tacoma Turkey Trot. A drawing for a $50 Fleet Feet gift certificate. Trophies for the top 3 in each age group from 50 to 94.
ENTRY FEE $40* – DOR $45

AMBASSADOR SPECIAL – All three races
ENTRY FEE $75* – Mail in deadline March 20, 2025. – or – DOR $80 on March 29th.
Includes all three races plus an Ambassador Series bonus of 10 points.

*Please make checks payable to Jerry Dietrich. Mail to – 5820 53rd Ave. NW, Gig Harbor, WA 98335. Include your name and age on race day.
Or, submit a check or cash DOR.