When I arrive in a new city, I cannot wait to get into my first race. Sometimes, I will sign up even before I get into the city. I find that doing a 5K or even a Half Marathon is one of the best ways to learn about the new town.
Last year, when we found out that we would be in Leavenworth, Kansas for a year, I began making a race schedule for Kansas City. Being a larger city, I found plenty of races to choose from. I first looked at the Fourth of July races and was able to find a four miler. It was a fun race, but better yet, it forced me out of the house and into the city. I arrived into Fort Leavenworth around June 14 and I had been at the house for two weeks. Most of this time was spent unpacking and getting comfortable. So, it was a welcomed break to go out and to run a race.
There are several reasons why I run a race as soon as I can when I move to a new city. First of all, is that moving can take you away from running if you do not have a really good reason to run. The race provides you a reason to keep up with running during this time. I recommend a shorter race, but a half marathon is doable if there is one available. A second reason, is that running provides a great stress reliever during the move. Having a race justifies you to get out and decompress through running. Third, the race helps you begin to adjust to the community. Going to pick up the race packet gives you a chance to drive through the city. Running the race allows you to get a feel for the running community and where the active running clubs are. And running the streets helps you get a taste for some of the best places in town.
Planning a race very soon after moving has been a great decision for me to adjust to a new town and I recommend it to any runner who is on the move.