NBC 7’s M.G. Perez shows us, a little farther up the North County coast, it was the perfect day for the world’s fastest 5K.
Much of San Diego County enjoyed milder temperatures and sunny skies this weekend. The San Diego sunshine returned with summer-like weather. It was a stark contrast to the cloudy, cold drizzle of just a week ago.
Families played barefoot on the beaches where there was also plenty of space to sunbathe.
In North County on Sunday morning, the annual Carlsbad 5000 5K run started at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Carlsbad Boulevard.
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Linda Tear of Rancho Peñasquitos and her good friend Jackie Ukegawa of Carlsbad called themselves "survivors" of the 5K. They sat together exhausted on an oversized art chair on a city sidewalk after crossing the finish line. They basked in the sunshine unsure of how long they needed to rest.
"We're still sitting here because we can't get up," laughed Tear. Ukegawa said, "We’re absorbing the vitamin D that our body’s need to heal after the race."
Most people agreed it was perfect running weather for the event known as the world’s fastest 5K. According to organizers, the description refers to the great number of records set during the run every year.
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Sometimes those records are simply for a personal best finish, and sometimes they are award winning
“Oh my lord, I’m glad to be down here in this beautiful weather," said 45-year-old Roosevelt Cook, who took first place in the men’s masters division. It's his 14th title for the Carlsbad race.
Cook is a P.E. teacher from the inland valley Hesperia/Victorville area that he said has had questionable weather, lately.
“Every time there’s a change in the weather, it’s windy, it’s cold, it’s hot. Then I come down here and it’s stable weather with mid 50s in the morning and then warms up nicely with the sun on your face," Cook said.
The thousands of visitors here this weekend didn't realize they ran into the return of San Diego sunshine. Long-time residents know well what's happened with the weather this year.
Adrian lonescu runs up to 50 miles a week along the North County coastline.
“I’m a medical director for a biotech company running clinical trials. I'm running on the side, too. I always say I’m a doctor with a running problem," Ionescu joked.
Michelle Wilson lives in Carlsbad and she has run the 5K for the past 39 years. On Sunday, she ran pushing her 3-year-old grandson, Kane, in a stroller. She was ready for any kind of weather.
“[If] you don’t know how to dress, you dress in layers. So you can take them off and put them on, then take them off [again]. It's been crazy, but we’ve been very lucky that today turned out really nice for everybody," she said.
