Fortunately timed travels brought me back to Mentor, OH during the week of the annual Friday Night Lights 5k race, organized by the local high school cross country team. This was my second time running FNL and my second time getting a PB, thanks to a competitive field and a fast course that starts and ends on the high school track.
I always prefer morning races to night races, but this race has great vibes and brings out the whole community. In all, 556 runners ran in this year’s edition, which featured a Superman theme (last year’s was Barbie; each year they choose a current movie as a theme and many runners come dressed up accordingly). The race starts at 9pm, which poses a slight conundrum for runners like me who would tend to caffeinate before a 5k race but don’t want to mess up their sleep. It does mean a bit cooler temperatures, though.
Course
The FNL course is fast, thanks in part to starting and ending with a lap around the Mentor High School track. While it makes for a crowded and chaotic start (500+ runners crammed into 7 lanes), it also can make for dramatic track-meet-like finishes. The course is nearly flat, with one short downhill dip around 3.5km followed by a notable 100m 4% uphill at 3.8km.
Competitive Field
The FNL race attracts lots of local talent from around northeast Ohio. This year’s top man and woman were actually an engaged couple – Jacob Ondash (27) who ran 14:48 and Alyssa Thomas (27) who ran 16:13. The race isn’t just fast at the very front, it’s also quite deep considering the relatively small field, with 29 males finishing under 17 minutes and 10 females finishing under 20 minutes. There’s much more competition in the younger age groups than at the Masters level – the fastest time over 40 was 18:53.
My Race – 16:38, an unexpected 5k PB
Coming into the race nursing a recent calf strain (missing 4 straight days of running the week prior), I managed my expectations for a breakthrough result. Despite planning to start conservatively, I got dragged out fast (3:09 first kilometer) by all the ambitious high schoolers and college kids. However, I felt fine and the first km in this race is always a little quick due to the track. I got into a decent rhythm over the next two kilometers, then slowed a bit in the 4th kilometer with the aforementioned hill. As we neared and turned onto the track for the final 400m, I heard more and more voices cheering on the runner behind me–“Go Brady!”–who I figured must be one of the top local high school runners. He finally out-kicked me with a few meters left, both of us clocking 16:38 (an unexpected nine-second PB for me).
Watch out for the Dennison kids!
I later learned the short, shirtless runner who had bested me was Brady Dennison, the 13-year-old (!) Ohio middle school State Champion in cross country and the mile. His family cleanly swept their age group awards at FNL, with his 10-year-old little brother Blake clocking an impressive 18:32 and 20-year-old sister finishing as the #3 woman at 17:45. Local followers of high school cross country should keep an eye on the Dennison brothers once they get to high school!
Final thoughts
Friday Night Lights is a well organized, fun, and competitive local night race each July that’s well worth participating in if you’re in the Greater Cleveland area.
Overall: 5 – Great event that everyone in Greater Cleveland should come out for.
Crowd and Vibe: 4 – Start and finish in the stadium, DJ, a different theme each year, and spectators cheering from the bleachers make it a fun vibe.
Perks & Swag: 4 – Ok t-shirt, unnecessarily snazzy medal, free pizza and popsicles after the race. T-shirts and $5 gift certificates from Mentor’s Second Sole running shoe store for the top 3 in each age group.
Course: 5 – Flat with just one dip and one little climb. Very fast and plenty of room to run after a crowded and chaotic start.
Competition: 5 – For a local night-time 5k, this race consistently attracts very talented runners. Much more competition in the younger age groups than in the older ones.
Value: 3 – $30-35 to register, which seems consistent with what local races go for these days but kind of crazy when compared to a free parkrun. Funds raised support the Mentor Cross Country team, though.
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