Lining up I did not know what to expect because I pulled my hamstring a few weeks before the race and had to take a week off from training. However, in spite of a steady headwind over the first 8 miles the weather last Saturday was better than last year; it was 10 or 12 degrees cooler than in 2023. So I just locked into a steady pace, trying to run 20-flat or better for each 5 km segment, and it worked out. I enjoyed traveling to Grand Rapids to run this iconic race, which for decades has been a stop on the USATF road racing circuit.