Last week marked the completion of another 5K race. This one was held in San Marco, a historic neighborhood in Jacksonville, Florida. As the name suggests, this race, sponsored by Asics, celebrated wine and chocolate.

I ran the race with two of my friends, both of whom also took part in the Gate River Run back in early March. The weather was a bit warmer, however, and it was a reminder summer is right around the corner and we don’t have much more time before the air gets humid and our runs turn to treadmill runs instead of outdoor road ones.

That said, Oscar, Josh and I entered the race in high spirits. I was actually giddy to move, as I had just returned that afternoon from Fort Lauderdale after covering The Catch Sports Fishing Competition (stay tuned for coverage of this in the coming weeks).

I felt great in the race up until about 2.25 miles, where the fatigue from the long drive finally caught up with me. That said, I still ran under my goal time, and my friends also met their time goals, finishing ahead of me. Instead of a medal, we each received chocolate-covered popcorn from beloved local brand Peterbrooke Chocolate. Our entry into the race also guaranteed us two free glasses of wine, which we sipped on in San Marco’s square after stretching. Some of our friends actually went to the race to meet us after, and we joined them outside a wine and beer venue afterward, all enjoying a crisp glass of wine as the sun began to set.

— Aoife O’Riordan, associate editor