The Run with All Your Heart 5k is a race now in its 4th year (I think), put on by the Future Leaders in Medicine group at USC medical school. Proceeds go to benefit Curing Kids Cancer, which supports pediatric cancer research.
The race had been held at Segra Park, but fortunately for people who hate hills, it was relocated to the School of Medicine in 2025 when GRIT took over the event. The new course ran back into the neighborhood behind the VA and paralleled the Sweat it Out route, so actually flat and fast. Unfortunately, the second or third summer of 2025 marred last year’s event, which was a total sweat fest and produced some slower times despite the friendly course.
I’m still building back the machine, but I was glad to see we’d be greeted by first faux fall this year, with temps in the 50s or 60s. I had mustered a 22:25 two weeks earlier on the tough Springdale course, so I was going to try my best for a sub-22.
I arrived at the med school an hour early and the place was already crawling with people. Erin had mentioned about 400 were signed up, which is pretty incredible given the 3 other races on the tour Saturday. Although the campus of the med school is fairly unrecognizable 24 years after I was there, the race headquarters was in one of the original buildings. I had a chance to look at all the class photos and see chubby baby-facedmed student McDonald in all his glory. Believe me, that kid wasnot running any 5ks. I was worried about the restroom situation with only one toilet, but somehow I was blessed with a solo pressure-free pre-race indoor poo with no one waiting. Chef’s kiss.
I ran into Visser in the parking lot who invited me to warm up with him and Ashley. Note to self, I’m not 30 years old anymore. I did about three quarters of a mile with them but realized this “warm-up” pace was probably only a shade slower than “fat ass Alex race pace” so I bailed to slog back to the start. At least the hip wasn’t giving me any trouble. Maybe the grab bag of PT exercises was working.
Huge crowd at the start. Decent CRC showing but we were definitely all spread out with the other races going on. AshlieghCarpenter had done a mad dash double dip from Sole Stroll. There may have been other CRC doublers but there were a ton of people. The start is predictably crazy since the med school roads are pretty narrow. I may have gotten carried away and had a Brief Psychotic Disorder, where I thought I was somehow transported into 2022. Four years younger, 10 lbs lighter, sub 19 times and many VO2 max points higher. As it turns out, my current fitness is not quite on that level. Still, I felt obligated to chase Shannon and everyone else at 6:30ish pace in the opening half mile.
Result: I was sucking way too much wind by the time we left the VA parking lot. Most of the race is a straight out and back on Byron Rd with a little loop at the turnaround. I spent most of the first stretch on Byron trying to get my breath back. Yeah… as the kids say, I was COOKED. But at least it was flat and cool. I hit mile 1 around 6:51, which is pretty quick for me right now but was mostly an average of my over-excited start and subsequent implosion. I looked ahead and kept hoping I could see the turnaround, but even with the long flat stretch I wasn’t seeing it yet. Finally, we hit a left and start to loop back toward the start. This would be psychological lift, if it wasn’t for the extreme physiological distress I was in, i.e. sucking wind and heart rate jacked in the 160s. The way back is a bit of a blur. It seems it’s actually a slight incline back to the start, of which my wrecked body felt every bit. Mile 2 in 7:06. I try not to think I ran a couple miles at this pace in the Richmond marathon 22 months ago. Only having a mile to go should also be a boost, but I was on total fumes by this point. Somehow, I managed to pass a masters-ish guy, so maybe I had an outside chance in that category. Hitting the VA parking lot, I think about mustering a drive to the finish, but lungs and legs are absolute toast. My only attempt at a kick was when I could actually see the red numbers of the clock, already well into the 21s. One last blast on the med school campus and I crossed the line in 21:52. I’ll take it. Hip and hamstring were ok, ego slightly bruised, but happy to be racing again!
In the women’s race, Ivanka Tolan crushed a 19:08 , with Ashley Graham a strong second in 19:31. Carsan Wooten was 3rdin 20:35. The men’s race was a near photo finish, with Demetris McCray, Caedon Buchanan and Nick Onorato all crossing the line within three seconds of each other (17:51 to 17:53). In female masters, Shannon Godby took the win in 20:28 with Kelly Stein-Marcus 2nd and Kate Boyd 3rd. Male masters was won by Cosmin Buru, who beat me by 10 seconds for the win! Hayne McCall was 3rd in 22:13.
Female age group honor roll: Julia Hauser was 3rd in the 10-14 Sara Kozar was 2nd in the 30-34. Ashleigh Carpenter was 1st in the 40-44 on leg 2 of her eventual triple dip! Stefanie Hauser was 1st in the 45-49. Wendy Homeyer captured 3rd in the 50-54. Lynda Leonardi was 2nd in the 55-59. Mary Cassidy took 3rd in the 65-69. Betty Floyd was 2nd in the 70-74.
Male age group honor roll: The Michael “The V train” Visser won the 30-34 in 18:52. Fellow USC School of Medicine Class of 2002 alum Emmet Maas won the 50-54. Joey Swearingen took the 60-64. George Cassidy and Harry Strick went 2-3 in the 70-74. The 75-79 was won by former School of Medicine dean and one of my favorite professors Dr. Richard Hoppmann, with Rich Wright 2nd and Ken Lowden 3rd.
Other notable finishers: Pete Poore, Jenny Schneider, Rick Massimo, Joe Leonardi, Abby Leonardi, Benjamin Homeyer and Nick Hauser.
