Letter to the Editor: 5K mix-up

Dear Editor:

The 5k for TLC race on Saturday was a great time, and it was so much fun to see so many people I haven’t seen in years. I wanted to thank all the organizers for providing this opportunity to raise money for a cause that I firmly believe is beneficial to the Downey community.

However, the day after the race, I found out that I had “placed” in my particular category, and it was around that same time that I found out that I did not complete the full 5k; apparently there was a second loop around the park that I had somehow missed. Who could have known that listening to a podcast, Imagine Dragons, Kenny Loggins, and Barry Manilow at full blast would be…distracting. Needless to say, it was my mistake and my mistake only.

When I crossed the finish line, I thought something was “off” when I looked down at my watch and noticed my time was just under 20 minutes; I haven’t run that fast since I was in my twenties, and I know that running three miles in under 20 minutes is way too much for me. Sometimes driving three miles in under 20 minutes is way too much for me.

This has been bothering my conscience, so I’m asking The Patriot to publish this so that I can publicly disqualify myself, apologize, and ask the race organizers to make sure I am removed from any 2018 records. I’m also hoping that if I knocked someone out of my category that they can be placed back in the records.

Thank you. See you next year,

Greg Elsasser
Downey