People look at the results of the past two Sesame Place Classic 5K races and marvel that the runner who won it in 2024 and finished second in 2025 drove all the way up here from Arlington, Va. to compete.
Then their eyes really widen when they see the age of Luke Holman.
That would be 41.
Not too many runners make it to the medal podium once they reach their masters years.
But Holman is one of those elite athletes who’s constantly looking for new challenges.
When he’s not winning at 5,000 meters, he’s competitive at marathons, triathlons and even modern pentathlons.
The quest never gets old.
Especially when he comes across a race such as the Sesame Place Classic, now preparing for its 26th edition on Sunday, May 17.
He says he’s willing to drive a couple hundred miles because the race has so much to offer. It starts with a speedy course, one on which he’s run 16:48.
“I think it’s the full package,” he said in a recent telephone interview. “The group (Kiwanis Club and the Bucks County Herald) that puts it on does an excellent job. It’s a flat, fast course. In all modesty, the last few years I’ve surprised myself with the times that I’ve run. I didn’t think I was in shape to run sub-17:00.”
The course loops around Oxford Valley Mall with few turns. The roads are wide and there’s little in the way of congestion.
“It’s an excellent course for runners who want to do a fast time,” Holman said.
The event has something for kids of all ages. Each runner gets a free, one-day admission to Sesame Place.
“Sesame Place does an awesome job with it,” Holman said. “The fact that they give you a free day pass to the park. . .there’s a lot of value in that. The cost of the race is about the same as a pass to the park. Either way you come out winning with that.
“It’s fun for the families. They bring out the Sesame characters, the rest of them are in the park afterwards. It’s a great atmosphere for anybody who’s got kids or is a kid at heart.”
This year’s featured character is Grover, and he appears on the snazzy T-shirt.
“There are lots of 5Ks,” Holman said. “But this one is worth driving to because other races don’t have something like the Sesame Street characters.”
Holman says he’s been running since about the age of nine. He competed in high school. He went on to earn his college degree at the University of Virginia.
Now he’s senior manager of sales analytics & optimization for the Washington Nationals professional baseball team.
So this man knows something about makes a successful business model as well as making patrons of any event happy.
While some runners take some time off after their school years, Luke stuck with it. Now he’s competing in national events at the masters level, placing top eight in both the 800- and 1,500-meter national championships recently in Florida.
“Running is a great lifetime sport,” he said. “Very grateful for what I’ve been able to do with it.
“I think I’m benefitting from many years worth of training. I guess I had a natural talent for it.”
In the 2011 New York City Marathon, he hit the finish line in 2:50.41. That was 455th out of 47,239 runners or top one percent. More recently he ran the Marine Corps Marathon in and around Washington, D.C. in 2:52.
He travels all over the place to participate in races. And he might even take in a baseball game or two, like when the Phillies play the Nationals.
Holman says the Sesame Place Classic separates itself from other 5K races because it has unique things to offer.
“Any time you have a theme or something fun for families, it creates another element to an otherwise great event,” he said.
His latest quest? Trying to break the five-minute mile at least once a year. Take it from him, it doesn’t get any easier.
In between the real serious stuff, he treats himself to fun events like Sesame.
“I enjoy it,” he said. “It’s a great race for everyone, no matter what their age.”
>Race calendar
Sunday
Love Run Philly Half-Marathon/7K, 7:30 a.m., Philadelphia. Contact www.loverunphilly.com
, or
Be the first to comment