The fun run was organised with military efficiency by student members of the Navy, Marines and National Guard, most clad in camouflage or coloured matched gear. A 'gung ho' 'pull up' contest (chin ups) was also held with the burly Marine types arrogantly seeking to win by pulling themselves up in rapid succession. A great breakfast / brunch picnic feed was held afterwards on the grassy Amphitheatre, with millions of bagels, Starbucks coffee, and mini muffins and rather delicious wraps.







In addition to this extensive slap-up feed, for our $15 entry fee, we also obtained a very pleasant navy blue T-Shirt (the colours of the University of Virginia are blue and orange). Bob and I were also handed a gift card for a local pizza place, each for a large pizza with 2 toppings. Then we had the fun run as well!







Once again the military precision was revealed in the air horn sounding at a GPS measured time of 08:00:00. I was taken a little off-guard, but tried not to get carried away at the start on my first 'race' and third run since the operation. Starting the run around the landmark, Neo-Georgian buildings of this Thomas Jefferson-designed campus, the crowd around me thinned out considerably before it nearly looped back upon itself and started to leave the formal environment of C19th and began to wind its way through a forest of trees, all starting to display their fall colours. The promised hill eventually arrived, and while I found it rather difficult to breathe (having forgotten my asthma spray), I kept moving in a running sort of motion, whereas those around me were walking. They might have been moving as fast as me, but I did keep running.







Around the 3km mark, we reached the summit of the hill, where military-garbed marshals cheered us on, offered water and I was pleased to have a downhill stretch. Strangely my knee, which had been somewhat stiff and sore at the start of the day and the run (it was cold!), stopped hurting on the uphill stretch. I was delighted to have a downhill stretch and wasn't too bothered by the jarring of the knee on the hard surface. Expecting to loop back around the way we started, I was surprised when the finish appeared in front of me - short of the advertised 5km distance! Drat!







All in all, I measured 4.85km and finished with an official time of 31:19. Not too shabby, especially given the rather substantial climb. A great morning! And the duck is back.