5K and 10K Foot Races

[Mike Buckley]

I photographed the Washington, D.C., 5K & 10K races put on by the local office of the American Heart Association and sponsored primarily by law firms in the area. That explains why the event is called "Lawyers Have Heart." I'm not a sports photographer and have never photographed a foot race so I was especially grateful to have very diffuse light.

Photo 1
This guy apparently was apparently anxious for the 5K race to get underway. Rather than me releasing the shutter when he jumped, I have to admit that it was a complete stroke of luck as it was entirely the other way around.




Photo 2
This 78-year-old man in red clothing was the oldest runner in either race. Last year he ran the 10K race. Now that the 5K race was offered for the first time, he decided to run it rather than the longer race. That's because he had a four-mile race to run later in the day. He and the other three members of his relay team set the U. S. record earlier this year for the fastest 800 meter relay for the 70-and-older age group.




Photo 3
I had never made a shot at all like this. I got lucky that I finally got one with lots of legs, feet and motion throughout the entire image, which is exactly what I wanted.




Photo 4
I wanted to portray a dense group of runners on the lower and upper streets. All the photos were ho hum until I came upon this one with a central runner in the front row looking straight at me.




Photo 5
This 10K race is traditionally the largest one in Washington, D.C., so I wanted to show the hoards of runners. This angle allowed me to do that while also showing the lead racers very soon after the start of the race.

[Shadowman]

Looks like you got a good vantage point to photograph these. I am always somewhere near the half way point so I get a straggle here and there, but usually there are at least five or six leading the pack. Nice photos.

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, John. It was certainly a lot of fun photographing the races.

[rpcrowe]

Mike. I like the series... I especially like the one of the 78 year old man which gives me some hope since I am a tender young 73.

Photographically, I love #5. The shadow on the pack to the rear increases interest in the leading runners. The whole front pack leads me to runner 1777 whom you caught with both feet off the ground...

[ShaneS]

Mike;

I'm with Richard regarding photo #5 - great clarity in the lead runners, great action captured with all the feet in the air, and a great sense of place and atmosphere with all of the other runners behind (and below) in shadow. Nicely done!

[Mike Buckley]

Thank you to Richard and Shane. Photo #5 is also my wife's favorite.