Celtic Solstice 2010

Race: Celtic Solstice Five Miler
October 22, 2010 12:00 am  by 

This race has been a perennial club favorite for several years. It’s always fun to drive up north to Baltimore and run a red-line pace for 5 miles and then head to one of Hamden’s many brunch locations and stuff our bellies full of food and mimosas.

The course is fully contained in Druid Hill Park with a closed course that loops through the park. The opening miles begin going up hill just steeply enough to quickly get your body temperature up. By the time you get to mile 3 the course levels out with a loop around the park’s reservoir. It’s a lonely stretch with no crowd support but the views of downtown Baltimore are quite enjoyable. The route finishes with a fast .5 mile downhill into the finish chute. The finish line is very well supported with lots of food, drink (even some of the stiff stuff) and music keeping everyone warm.

The real prize for this race is the premium. Each year features a gender-specific half-zip or jacket from Brooks. It’s always a quality product with a celtic logo designed by a local artist embroidered on it. The race fees are equivalent to the MSRP of the premium so it’s a great score.

This year Phil Schmidt and Jenny Leehey found their way onto the podium so DC Tri represented well.