While there’s a debate that enrages every year that ends in “9” on whether or not it’s the end of a decade, I’m in the camp that I’m not celebrating the 2010s at the end of 2020.
2010-2019 = 10 years = a decade. It doesn’t matter if there’s a year 0 or not.
I usually refrain from writing about these kinds of lists, but the past 10 years have been so full of many changes. My first born is now 11 and we then added to our family twice this decade in 2013 and 2018.
When it comes to running, the first half of the 2010s were certainly the peak of my fitness after I overcame an injury in 2010. The past few years certainly haven’t been that great. But there are many moments that deserve one more look before the ‘20s arrive.
So here are my top 10 race memories from the 2010s, all in order of what comes to mind right away without digging around too much:
10. Star 10K, 2018
The interesting thing about this decade is that I had a steady decline in how many races I ran per year, and from March 2016 until April 2018, I had exactly ZERO races. That was by choice initially … then my return was delayed by injury after injury. I almost gave up on running altogether.
But it was at the Blue Ridge Marathon weekend last year that I made a return to run up and down Mill Mountain for the Star 10K. My blog post “From a walking boot to the top of a mountain” sums up what a miserable time that was before that race weekend.
9. Trail Nut 10K, 2011
“Learning as I was racing” is a line from this post about this small trail race in my hometown.
The year before this event, I got really sick on race week, had a DNF and then felt horrible about my experience for months.
This race ended up being one of the last age group awards I’ve ever had.
8. Shamrock Half Marathon, 2012
I never would have imagined that this was my peak half marathon fitness … and perhaps it wasn’t … but it was quite the special moment ALMOST breaking 1:40 in the half marathon.
This, too, has a story similar to other races on this list as it came relatively soon after an injury the year prior that kept me from the starting line.
That weekend in particular is what kept me focused on Shamrock a few more times until I decided after the 2016 race that I needed a break.
7. Surf ‘n’ Santa 5-Miler, 2018
This was my first race in Virginia Beach in almost three years, running it surprisingly at a progressive pace. It was also a special race as my wife ran it 6 months after baby No. 3, and my first race in my 40s.
There were a lot of good things that hadn’t happened in a while with racing that gets me excited for what’s ahead in the 2020s.
6. Richmond Half Marathon, 2013
For the second time that year, I ran a race with my sister, setting aside any personal goals I had and pushing her to PRs. The half marathon was a wild experience as I pushed her to getting to under 2 hours, shattering her PR by nearly 10 minutes.
“Knowing she beat her goal and destroyed a PR felt as rewarding as any PR I’ve ever set,” I wrote after that race.
But it almost didn’t happen … I overslept, I forgot my watch, it was raining …
5. Disney Marathon, 2013
When I wrote my blog post about this race, I struggled to come up with very many words about how much I loved doing that race. I then proceeded to include mentions of it several more times in the couple of months afterward.
Nearly seven years later, all I can think of it how I want to go back and do this race again someday.
4. Runners World Festival, 2015
In hindsight, this race didn’t do for me what I really wanted it to do for me to get my running groove back, but I connected with some amazing people that weekend who are still good friends of mine.
It was three days of fun, connecting with so many similar people, fun times at a random concert and, oh yeah, a lot of running!
3. Blue Ridge Marathon, 2019
Had I been in better shape and not have felt quite so miserable, this would be at the top spot. Afterall, it only took 10 years to FINALLY do this race. I always switched to the half marathon (see the next one of this list) while not training enough or just lacking the confidence.
But earlier this year, I finally conquered Blue Ridge … and my “one and done” thoughts didn’t last too long as I set my sights on the 2020 race.
2. Blue Ridge Half Marathon, 2013
There are many Blue Ridge Half Marathons that could make this list — I almost made this a generic entry to say “all of them,” but 2013 was truly a special year. I got to hang out with Bill Rodgers for a second year, ran by Frank Shorter and hung out again with my now good friend Bart Yasso.
This was all a week after the Boston Marathon bombings, so there were just so many other emotions happening at the same time.
1. Baltimore Marathon, 2011
Boom. Sub 4 hours in a marathon.
When I look back at that race and the many posts afterward, I admit that I greatly miss those times of running, but I wouldn’t want to go back to obsessing about so many details.
That’s why it all worked though. I spend that summer pouring over data, meticulously rotating through shoes, doing more cross training, blogging about it endlessly — and I believe this race is what made No. 8 on this list possible.
I think often about that day and that period of peak fitness, which is why this race lands at the No. 1 spot.
Real David H. 
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