洛杉磯鼠年華埠爆竹賽

lvrunner

Hi 各位 ~

I did a 10K race in Los Angeles Chinatown back on February 10th to celebrate the Year of the Rat.  Here is the race report I posted in another North American forum.  Hopy you enjoy it.

本報記者陳家賦華埠報道

鼠年華埠爆竹賽跑，回到30年前的原始路線，同時還有兩天的「日夜Fun不停」環節！
一年一度的華埠爆竹賽跑，被視為洛杉磯馬拉松賽的熱身活動，不但是最大型的文化性賽跑活動，同時也以慈善掛帥。爆竹賽跑委員會主席李少武17日表示，為紀念活動30周年慶，今年恢復30年前首屆賽跑的路線，將會繞著依莉仙蓄水池（Elysian Reservoir）而跑。同時也歡迎當年參加過活動的健將，再次重溫這條路線，預計會有超過5000人參賽、1萬人觀賞。
為迎接30周年慶，今年的活動也擴大舉行，增加了「日夜Fun不停」環節。2月9日（星期六）上午10時至下午4時，在孫中山銅像廣場進行領取號碼、賽前報名等，而所有報名者亦可在10時至2時之間，享用「賽前大餐」。現場也會有音樂和舞台表演，一直到晚上10時。
爆竹賽跑將在2月10日（星期日）上午8時起跑，7時半舉行舞獅、燃放10萬響砲儀式。現場的音樂與娛興節目，一直持續到下午4時。今年的比賽分為5公里及10公里賽跑、5公里競走、兒童歡樂徒步等。本月26前報名費成人25美元、兒童10美元，之後為成人30美元、兒童15美元。報名費包括紀念T衫及毛巾、「賽前大餐」。

What else is good to do besides eating tons of Chinese New Year food and get fat?  As a runner, of course running the Los Angeles Chinatown Firecracker 10K to celebrate the beginning of the Lunar New Year!  If you are into Feng Shui, this 10K race is a must for you.  It is also the official warm up race for the upcoming Los Angeles Marathon.  The lighting of 100,000 firecrackers and lion dance at the beginning of the race were spectacular.  In Chinese folklore, the lion dance and drums chase away “evil” spirits and bring good luck to those who participate.  This year’s race was held on the next day after the annual golden dragon parade.  The course was different than the one I ran in the past.  It was actually the 1978 original course.  It had an additional 0.5 miles of uphill run for a total of 2.7 miles. There is also a 5K run but that course is entirely different with no hills.

Running a race in Chinatown?  You probably think it is a race filled with Chinese runners.  Not!  85% of the runners are not Chinese.  This was my 4th Firecracker 10K Run.  I started doing it in 2005.  So far I have done the Rooster, Dog, Pig and Rat.  I plan on doing the complete Chinese Zodiac cycle.  I have eight more to do after this one.

I picked up my packet and t shirt on Saturday around noon time.  It was so busy in Chinatown, tons of tourists and locals.  Why?  The 109th annual golden dragon parade was being held in an hour.  Can you image this was the 109th year they had the parade!!!  The pick up area was right in the old Chinatown Plaza on Broadway this year.  There was a centre stage with bands playing music and all that.  The place was jam packed and it also reminded me one of Jackie Chan’s movies ~ Police Story.  Anyway, the mini outdoor expo was also being held there.  By the time I got my packet and my box of Chinese fried noodles (free carbo load lunch), it was time to watch the parade.  There were tons of people along Broadway, it was stacked four deep.  We decided to move over to Hill Street instead.  Mickey was the grand marshal of the parade.

It was hot and sunny on Sunday morning.   I think it was at least 80F at the beginning of the race.  My left heel still bothers me a little.  I just wanted to take it easy and not to run too fast.  I still have the LAM to do in 3 weeks.  Everybody knows the Firecracker 10K is one of the toughest course in Southern California.  The first 2.2 miles is all uphill.  You actually run up to the top of Elysian Park with an excellent view of the Dodger Stadium and downtown LA.  As I mentioned before, they added an additional of 0.5 miles uphill climb to this year’s race.  I didn’t stop until I hit the mile 1.5 water station.  Since it was only a 10K, I didn’t take too many pictures along the course.  If you want to see more pictures of the course, you can search my last year’s report.  

I finished the race with the best 10K time in 15 years.  I figured that I could have been faster if there were no hills or if I didn’t take any pictures.  Tons of food at the finish line and more lion dances at the centre stage.  Every runner got a 30th anniversery white towel.  We hung around for another hour or so and then took off for dim sum.  

I will be back next year for the 5th year ~ It will be The Year Of The Ox (my year)!!

Here is a video clip I found in youtube.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os7XOZJRQhI

Here is their website:  http://www.firecracker10k.org/  You can find over 500 pictures from there.

[ 本帖最後由 lvrunner 於 2008-3-8 23:10 編輯 ]

michaelyw

thx for sharing~
it is really nice

Alfred

氣紛真係一流，個大頭佛比起香港D真係高幾班，攪到兩隻獅好生猛。D觀眾好似重high過D跑友喎。