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CARLSBAD, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — The event known as the World’s Fastest 5K will feature a new and improved course this year, according to a release Tuesday by event organizers.
The Carlsbad 5000, which happens on Sunday, begins at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Carlsbad Boulevard, heads southbound on the boulevard, turns around at the Tamarack volleyball courts and then heads back northbound before finishing beneath the iconic Carlsbad sign near Carlsbad Village Drive.
Before the updated route, the Carlsbad 5000 followed the same format for the past 37 races. The former course took racers west on Grand Avenue before turning left at Carlsbad Boulevard, before heading back northbound on Pacific Coast Highway and finishing on Carlsbad Village Drive.
The previous course became too challenging, the release said, because runners had to cross railroad tracks 16 times throughout eight races. Occasionally, the trains that run through the area required runners to stop and let them pass.
Race ambassador Meb Keflezighi, the first runner to win the Boston Marathon, New York City Marathon and an Olympic Medal, said the updated course eases concerns about runners’ safety.
“The trains have been on our mind,” he said. “To have that safety issue resolved, it’s not a worry to us, which is huge.”
The race is partnered with Ainsley’s Angels of America, an organization honoring the memory of Ainsley Rossiter, who was diagnosed with a genetic disorder at the age of three and had to be pushed in a wheelchair during races. She participated in 100 races before her death in 2016.
The Carlsbad 5000 has been a tradition since 1986.
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