Vulcan Run 10k

As much as I love running "destination runs" I love love love a good ole hometown run! Vulcan Run 10k  in downtown Birmingham Alabama is one of our greatest runs! Its like a Family Reunion for Birmingham runners. All of my peeps show up and we have a great time catching up with each other! The weather is usually fabulous and the course is exceptional!! I am a huge fan of running the city streets. Love the atmosphere, the city, the fans...everything! And hey, it's the BEST way to work in my training runs for the runDisney Walt Disney World Marathon in January of 2013!


Bib #1531...Ready to run! Official Finish Time was 59:52. Not too shabby after hurting my knee the weekend before in the Florence Half!
 

 Some of the scenery seen on my way back to the Finish line!

Established in 1975 by a Birmingham Track Club (BTC) runner, Versal Spalding, the Bicentennial Run emerged as part of Birmingham’s 100- year birthday celebration. The entry fee was a meager $2.00 in 1975. So successful was the race that it continued the following year, and in 1976 was re-named the Vulcan Run

Vulcan is an appropriate title for this Birmingham-based race. From Roman mythology, Vulcan was the god of fire and craftsmanship. Because Birmingham is located on land comprised of the materials needed to make iron and steel, the local steel industry experienced rapid growth during the industrial revolution. Thus, Vulcan became a symbol of the city.

By the late 1980s, the Vulcan Run had grown to include upwards of five-thousand participants. It attracted top runners, including Marcos Brotto, who set a race record of 28:18. In 1990, Christine Pfitzinger set the women’s record of 32:33. Following this record, Pfitzinger won the race four consecutive times before she was invited to compete in the NYC marathon for the Olympic Trials.
The race became so popular that a Vulcan Marathon was established. In time, the Vulcan Marathon was incorporated into Birmingham’s Mercedes Marathon, which is held each February. The original Vulcan Run, however, remains unchanged in terms of distance, course, and name.

To date, the Vulcan Run remains an extremely popular race and in 2012 The Vulcan Run is the ALABAMA RRCA 10K STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. Each year the race generates approximately $2 million in revenue for the city. Through the years, the race has been made possible by sponsors including SONAT (Southern Natural Gas), The Birmingham News, Subway, Viva Health, Buffalo Rock, Pepsi, and the Bryant Jordan Foundation.

 My pals Walker Wonder Dog and Ronnie (who always wear the MOST clever shirts fromOne More Mile Running...check them out!)!

Does this look like a FABULOUS AFTER PARTY or what???? Free Yogurt Mountain with all of the fixins, grilled hotdogs and Free Beer! Big Shout out to the The Trak Shak for always putting on the best post race parties.



Vulcan 10k sponsored by Yogurt Mountain and Coca-Cola!



 It was a BEAUTIFUL Fall day in the Ham, but man were we hot and sweaty in the end!!