Murrieta 5k

I completed the Murrieta 5k in March 2026. Just one week earlier, I had pushed my body through the mud, obstacles, and exhaustion of the Tough Mudder with my cousin Matt and Garret. I figured the 5K would feel easy in comparison, but I was still sore and exhausted from the previous weekend.

Race morning in Murrieta had the perfect community-run atmosphere. Families gathered near the starting line, runners stretched in parking lots, and volunteers hustled around setting up cones and water stations. There was a mixture of serious runners chasing personal records and casual participants just enjoying the experience. I fell somewhere in the middle — still sore from Tough Mudder but determined to give it everything I had.

By the time I crossed the finish line, my watch read 31 minutes with a 9:59 pace. It was not my fastest 5K, but honestly, considering the previous weekend’s punishment at Tough Mudder, I felt proud of it. Sometimes finishing strong matters more than setting records.

My wife Paige, who was three months pregnant at the time, decided to take the race at her own comfortable pace. She walked alongside Matt’s wife and her two kids, enjoying the morning rather than worrying about speed. While the runners finished and the crowds started thinning out, they were still making their way through the course completely unbothered.

Apparently, they ended up dead last in the race.

By the final stretch, the race organizers had already started picking up cones behind them as they walked. I can only imagine the volunteers slowly trailing along, dismantling the course while our family casually strolled toward the finish line like they had all the time in the world. Honestly, that image might be my favorite memory from the entire event.