After months of training athletes everywhere participated in the Carlsbad 5000. For many, the 29th anniversary of the event made winning the victory medal all the more desirable. The sun rose, the athletes gathered, the horn blew and they were off.

Every year, locals enjoy coming down to the race because of its friendly vibes and positive message.

“Not only do I enjoy to run and participate in the Carlsbad 5000, I love being able to run with my friends,” freshman Caitlin McCarthy said.

The Carlsbad 500o was established by the Competitor Group in 1986 and is an annual road-running event of over five kilometers–equivalent to 3.1 miles. The race began on March 29 for the Junior Carlsbad one mile race and the following day was designated for the Carlsbad 5000.

For some, this was not their first time participating in the city’s annual marathon.

“This will be my fifth year participating in this race,” McCarthy said. “I enjoy it so much that I keep coming back, and I think other people should come down and run it, too.”

The race began at Grand Avenue and Jefferson Street, from 5:30 am- 2:oo pm. To promote participation from the community, everyone who signed-up received a medal because it makes the race more enjoyable due to the sense of accomplishment.

The volunteers handed-out out free T-shirts and water to the tired runners, while pumping them up with words of encouragement.

“We got there at five in the morning and it was totally worth it,” sophomore Winter Schweibold said. “It was really exciting watching how dedicated people were to the race, by how hard they were running. I would definitely volunteer next year.”

On Sunday, March 30, Bernard Lagat set the American 5k road record, and Ethiopia’s Dejen Gebremeskel won for the fourth continuous time in 13:11 minutes. Then in the women’s race, Great Britain’s Julia Bleasdale won with a time of 15:06 minutes.

The Carlsbad 5000, with its lively atmosphere, leaves people with warm memories of the past, enticing them to return time and time again.

“The warm air, good vibes and running with friends keeps me coming back year after year,” freshman Kiley McCarthy said.