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With the recent proliferation of various adventure and specialty events, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for race directors to come up with new gimmicks that will help their events stand out in a crowded race calendar. Sometimes it seems like all the great ideas are already taken, and any new event will just be an imitation or a rehash of what has come before.
Well, one local woman had an epiphany one day last spring, and decided to put her inspiration into action with a brand new 5k that should prove to be completely unique and blow the minds of jaded runners who think they’ve seen everything.
Lapir Solof explains that the idea came to her after a fun and exhausting race season spent participating in events like The Warrior Dash, The Color Run, Race The Reaper, and many others. “All of those events were a blast,” she says. “I had a great time at all of them. But at the end of the year, I was a little burned out. All these events were starting to blend together and become a blur. I couldn’t remember which gimmicks belonged to which race, and they all began to seem the same.”
When all the mud, colored corn starch, and rope burns began to haunt her dreams, Solof knew she had to find a new kind of adventure race, something completely unique, something that didn’t just borrow pre-existing elements from established events. When her web-searches came up empty, she realized the only way to see her vision become a reality was to do it herself. And after a lot of brainstorming and hard work, the inaugural Generic Race will finally arrive this June.
“I’m really thrilled to be able to offer a totally unique new experience to Portland area runners,” says Solof, hardly able to contain her excitement. “I think people will really love it, and I’m sure many runners will wonder why nobody’s come up with this idea before!”
“I don’t want to reveal too much, or give too much away,” says Solof, “but runners can get a pretty good idea about the event from the race poster [see below]. I think people will be really pleased with the concept.”
The Details:
What: The Inaugural Generic Race 5k
When: June 31st, 2014
Where: Boring, Oregon
What Time: 8:00am
Registration: Registration details are still being worked out, but Solof expects the entry fee to be no more than $10, including non-technical, sweat absorbing T-shirt.
The official poster for the Generic Race hints at an exciting and unique new event!
