Wed, Sep 15, 2021 - 5.5K - 00:28:50
5.5K Berliner Firmenlauf
This was my third Berliner Firmenlauf, and the one with the largest group of runners from the company I was running for, 16 from DCI this year, and with a fun pre-meetup in the Straße des 17. Juni before crowding into the sea of runners and waiting 20 minutes in front of the starting line before were able to move forward. 
 
We started with a bang, everyone sprinting around the corners through Mitte, then I settled into a pace behind Leandro, trying to stay up with him, which I did until about 2.5 kilometers, then watched him slowly pull ahead with his slightly faster pace as the evening turned into night. 
 
The rain didn't really play a role until the last stretch down Straße des 17. Juni to the finish line, a stream of people running as fast as we could in one directly through the dark rainy night, unforgettable. I eventually finished with a 28:50 time for 5.5 which was a 26:15 5K, not bad. 
 
After we finished and those behind us started to catch up to our group in the finishing area, it started pouring down profusely. I remember watching our runners approaching our group in a complete downpour. But this didn't dampen our team spirit. We stayed there for quite some time talking about the race, comparing times, etc. until finally some took off for the planned after-race dinner, but I decided I was too soaking wet and starting to get cold, so I just got the next S-Bahn home and within 20 minutes was glad to be in my warm, dry house again. 
 
But all in all a fun race, and cool to know so many people in our company are so fit to knock out a 5K run.