Sports

Carlsbad 5000 May See Another Record Time Set

The Junior Carlsbad on Saturday and Sunday's elite races downtown also feature a Health & Fitness Expo.

There's a reason the Carlsbad 5000 is labeled “The World’s Fastest 5K.” The race, which has been run since 1986, has seen 16 world records and eight American marks established, and there very well could be another in Sunday's 26th version of the scenic event that features an elite field.

Defending champion Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya is back, hoping to improve on the 13:11 time he posted. Despite fighting some headwinds, he won by seven seconds.

"In 2010, I wanted to run fast and attack the world record,” Kipchoge told competitor.com this week. “I tried very hard but on the day I had to fight the wind and that made it very hard for me to break 13 minutes. This year, I feel as though I’m in better shape. I’ve been pushing myself and my training has definitely gone well."

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The 26-year-old will be trying to break the world mark of 13:00 set in 2000 by Sammy Kipketer of Kenya, who matched that time in 2001 as well. Dejene Gebremeskel of Ethiopia, last year’s runner-up, could also go under 13 minutes since he has beaten that mark by more than six seconds on a track.

The race gained credibility in its early days when Olympian Steve Scott won the first three years. The 3.1-mile course in downtown Carlsbad (see map and road closure info) will host nine races on Sunday, beginning with the Masters Men 40 and over at 7:05 a.m. The "Party by the Sea" afterwards features a beer garden and live band.

Find out what's happening in Carlsbadwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Junior Carlsbad will be run on Saturday. Nearly 2,500 runners age 12 and under will compete in the 11 age-group races, plus a Toddler Trot and Diaper Dash. First race is at 7:50 a.m. A Health & Fitness Expo will be held both Saturday and Sunday on Roosevelt, between Carlsbad Village Drive and Grand Avenue.


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