Fast 5K has come long way

A study into the recent evolution of road races and information technology should begin with the Firecracker Fast 5K.

The race began as part of Little Rock's Fourth of July celebration in 1977 and is scheduled to start for the 39th consecutive time at 7:30 a.m. Saturday on Kavanaugh Boulevard. Since 1988, the course has wound from the Heights neighborhood to the finish near War Memorial Stadium and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Firecracker Fast 5K

WHEN 7:30 a.m. Saturday

WHERE Intersection of Kavanaugh Boulevard and North University.

REGISTRATION Early: $25. Race day: $30

NOTEWORTHY Race day registration runs from 6 a.m. to 7:15 a.m. in the Bank of America parking lot at the intersection of Kavanaugh Boulevard and North University.

When first-year sponsor Gary Smith measured the first course in 1977, he used his car's odometer. It covered 7 miles, a distance he was never able to explain.

"I'm not sure where we came up with 7 miles," Smith said.

Finishers were timed with a silver-plated mechanical stopwatch. They were handed their orders of finish, written with a heavy, felt-tip marker on tongue-depressors.

The race was shortened to 4 miles in 1978, once a common road-race distance in Arkansas. There were then 4-mile races in North Little Rock, De Queen and Clarksville, in addition to the Firecracker race.

In 1988, Smith moved the course and changed the distance, each for the final time, and introduced the Firecracker Fast 5K.

When Smith sold his road racing apparel store, Easy Runner, to Sean and Noelle Coughlan, he insisted they continue the race.

No insistence was necessary.

"We were very excited about the race as soon as we heard about it," Sean Coughlan said.

The Coughlans changed the name of the store to Fleet Feet Sports Easy Runner and handed direction of the Firecracker Fast 5K to Memphis-based Start2Finish Events Management. They made many subtle changes, but to entrants and observers, the overall race appearance differs little from the original established by Smith.

What has changed most significantly is the number of entrants. Prior to 2013, they rarely surpassed 1,000. Nearly 1,400 finished the Firecracker Fast 5K in 2013. Last year there were 1,767 entrants and 1,666 finishers.

"And we hope for more this year," Coughlan said. "I think anyone who does this always wants to grow their race."

Smith ignored age divisions, which added to its distinctiveness. His thought was to de-emphasize the competitive aspect for most entrants. Firecracker-shaped trophies were given to top men and women, usually the first 100, and cash prizes reaching $1,500 were given to overall winners.

The Coughlans returned to the race-common age divisions and pulled the prize money. Coughlan said his hope was to enhance the experience for everyone. He has overseen the introduction of shirts made of synthetic fiber and three-deep plaques for age-division finishers. The traditional firecracker trophy is now reserved for the first 50 men and women.

"All they've done has boosted attendance, that's for sure," Smith said.

Coughlan said he remembered when it sometimes took hours as a race director to confirm orders of finish across dozens of age divisions. Now such matters are limited by nothing but the speed of light.

Advances applied by Start2Finish are designed to provide finishers with detailed results, including their pace, and places overall and within age groups, all at nearly the instant they cross the finish line, on big-screen televisions. All is easily accessible on the Internet, with no tongue-depressor required.

"We just want this race to be as good as it can be," Coughlan said. "We're always open to new ideas. It's always good to try different things here and there."

Sports on 07/03/2015

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