5th Line 5k Review

The 5th Line 5k is a fun event—a great time for running and walking hockey fans to explore the streets of downtown Columbus together.  The atmosphere is great—from the pre-race gathering inside Nationwide Arena to the energy in the streets to the finish line at center ice to the post-race party.  And since I’m not a morning person at all, I also love the 10 am start time. 

The course is easy and scenic.  Not a lot of challenges here—just a nice path through city streets, around green spaces, and over bridges.  There’s one mid-race aid station and plenty of snacks when the race is over.  And there’s just nothing like finishing up by racing into the Arena and seeing yourself cross the finish line on the jumbotron.  

This race also offers some great swag.  The long-sleeve tech shirts are great quality, the medal is solid and impressive (especially if you happen to be going straight from the race to your kid's hockey game), and the two free Blue Jackets tickets are a pretty great perk, too.  Before and after the race, there are plenty of sponsors set up, too.  I passed on the pre-race samples of Mike’s Hard Lemonade but was happy to try out some BioSteel. 

Of course, since the race always takes place during NHL All-Star Weekend in February, you never quite know what kind of weather you’re going to get.  But the last two years have been perfect—cool but not unbearably cold, sunny, no messy precipitation.  It’s nothing some extra fleece layers can’t handle.  And it’s worth it for a fun morning with your fellow 5th-Liners.