2013 Cause + Event Portland race merchandise. Photo Credit: Brook Kirkin
Every race has a cause. No race has EVERY cause…until NOW.
That’s the tagline of my favorite race in Portland on September 13, not just because it’s the one and only one I organize with some of my very best friends and family, but because we mean what we say: our participants choose the cause they want to run for and we give a large portion of the registration fee to the cause of their choice
And let me be clear: Cause + Event Portland isn’t a race where runners pick from ten specific causes already pre-determined in a drop down menu. The runner LITERALLY chooses their cause, either we’ve already had it added to our database (we have over 80 already participating this year) or they can add it during registration. The only thing we require is that the cause is a 501-c-3 Guidestar registered nonprofit organization.
Photo Credit: Brook Kirkin
How much do we give per registration? Well, we give A LOT. First of all, we’re an all-volunteer run organization. None of us get paid anything other than the good feeling that comes with knowing we’re helping our global (yes, global!) nonprofit community.
Registration fees for the 5K Walk/Run and 10K Run are $30 and we give a flat $15 per registration to charity. Our Hillaceous Half Marathon is $70 and we give $30 to charity from each 13.1 registration. And, it doesn’t matter if one runner or one hundred runners are running for the cause. In other words, there are no minimums. I’ll handwrite a $15 check to any nonprofit that participates, with a smile on my face and love in my heart.
All registrations include the donation and a unisex short-sleeved Nike tech t-shirt designed by youth involved in New Avenues Ink. Plus, every runner/team/cause registered by August 10th will have their name on the back of our shirt. It’s kind of our thing. And, we’re even going to allow our runners to vote on the winning design from three choices created by the New Avenues Ink designers. Half marathon runners also get a participation medal for tackling our hilly course.
Bart Hafeman and Hit Machine will rock our Best Race After Party again this year. Photo Credit: Brook Kirkin
Aside from all the awesomeness that comes from running for YOUR cause, there are a TON of other GREAT reasons why Cause + Event Portland is an event not to miss. For one thing, we proudly host the Best Race After Party Ever, featuring our favorite band Hit Machine, back for the second year in a row. We also offer an affordable childcare option, right there in Bethany Village!
Runners and spectators can also enjoy our Amazing Race Expo, full of sponsor booths, running and fitness related vendors and a bunch of really cool nonprofits. This year our friends from What Moves You? will be back again to film our runners and we are bringing the Portland Photo Booth to our event to take team and individual photos, instantly share-able on a variety of social media outlets. We’re also dog friendly this year, so much so that even our aid stations will have water for your favorite four legged friends. That’s right, we’re wheelchair, stroller and dog friendly in 2014.
We also know that we’ve got a good thing going here, so we have opened up 250 “virtual” runner registrations so that runners worldwide can run with us for THEIR cause too and we’re still giving $15 from every $30 registration (that also includes the awesome shirt) to the cause of the Virtual Runner’s choice. We’ve already got a runner in Maine, and a prize for the runner who is the furthest away from Portland. I can’t wait to see who that is and where they live AND most importantly who they are running for.
There’s a lot of competition for runners on September 13th and we hope people choose to run with us. That said, we only offer 1000 spots total for our event and we sold out last year 2.5 weeks before the race. We’re hoping to sell out again this year so we can realize our vision to raise as much money as we can for as many causes as we can.
Part of the course on paved THPRD path, complete with signs representing all our participating nonprofits.
Last year in our second year of operation we raised nearly $16,000 for 63 causes with 650 local runners and 75 virtual runners. And, our event is, and always will be these four things: Affordable. Local. Small. FUN.
Our running events include a free Tot Trot and Kids 1K Red Cross Fun Run, a 5K walk, 5K Run, 10K Run and our new, signature event, the Hillaceous Half Marathon (don’t let the name scare you, it is hilly but it’s wonderful and easily tackled by first time half-marathoners, I promise!). All courses are 90% on paved running paths in the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District, with the rest on traffic controlled closed roads, so runners are VERY VERY safe.
Won’t you run with us on September 13? It’s for a good cause…YOUR cause.
Date: September 13, 2014
Time: Expo opens at 7AM, race begins at 8AM
Distances: 1K (kids), 5K Walk, 5K Run, 10K Run and Half Marathon
Location: Starts and ends and Bethany Village, course is throughout the new THPRD network of paved trails
Fees: $30 for virtual, 5K and 10K registrations (includes a shirt and $15 donation to your cause), $70 for Half Marathon (includes a shirt, $30 donation and participation medal) until packet pick up and race day. Fees increase to $40 for 5K/10K events and $80 for half marathon. All kids events are free.
Deadlines: Prices increase at packet pick up and on race day, and ONLY if we don’t sell out beforehand. To get your name/cause/team on the t-shirt you MUST register by August 10, 2014. Online registration closes September 8, unless we sell out first.
Registration: Click here to register TODAY! Use discount code 2014HALF for $5 off the half marathon, first 100 to use the code saves the dough!
Photo credit: Brook Kirkin
