Here I am (bib 101) at the Dual Duel one year it was held at Lincoln High School. I was running with a friend and we ended up winning our age group!
Portions of this preview were originally published in the July Oregon Distance Runner, ORRC’s club magazine for which I’m managing editor. Want to subscribe? Join the club – literally. It’s one of the perks ORRC members enjoy.
On Friday, August 1, 2014, the ORRC’s longest running event, the Dual Duel, will be held for the 43rd time – this year (as in most years) at Catlin Gabel School in Portland, Oregon. It offers some interval speed work to those that want a challenging evening event – either solo or as a team.
“We didn’t find out about the race until a few days beforehand and made a game time decision to run the race,” says 2013 participant Carre Heineck. “We didn’t find out about the race until a few days beforehand and made a game time decision. I always enjoy running team races, whether it is a relay, Hood to Coast, or cross country.”
This race is really two events all at once on a quarter mile track. The main event, the Dual Duel, allows a team of two runners to alternate quarter-mile legs for a total of 10 miles (or 40 laps, 20 each). Heineck, who won the 2013 women’s race with teammate Karla Hoggard in 56:36, says, “The race reminds me of a standard track workout. I have been running 400 interval workouts since I was 12 years old. This just happened to be a fun 400 workout with lots of support from the fans.”
There are four divisions: Running divisions for Men, Women and Mixed, and a division for Racewalkers. For the running events, awards are given out to each age group. To figure out which age group you’ll be in, add your age and your teammate’s age together. Age groups are in ten-year increments for the purpose of awards. The Racewalk is open and not age specific.
For those that prefer an individual experience, an individual 10k, which is 25 laps, is also available. “Running the 10K during the Duel Dual is like driving 50 mph in the left lane on I-5 except everyone whizzing by is super friendly,” says Will Cortez, who ran the 10k in 2013. Awards will be distributed according traditional ORRC age groups of five-year increments.
There will be a free quarter-mile kids run starting things off at 6:20 PM. All other events start at 6:30. To avoid congestion, half of the teams will start on one straightaway and the other half will start across the track. Each team is responsible for keeping count of their own laps, but there will be officials at both start/finish locations.
Most teams recruit a volunteer to counting their laps for them, but if you don’t have a friend or family member that can help you out, a great alternative is to put ten rubber bands on one wrist of each runner. When you finish one lap, move a rubber band to the other wrist. You’ll know you’re on your last lap when you have only one rubber band on the original wrist.
This race is very small and social. The cost is low for club members – only $5 when you pre-register! Non-ORRC members pay $20 for pre-registration. Day of race registration is $20 for ORRC members and $25 for non-members. The event is always a lot of fun, and reminds us of the kinds of events the ORRC is known for. The weather is usually really good and the venue – Catlin Gabel School – is unsurpassed. Don’t miss it this year!
When: Friday, August 1, 2014
What time: 6:30 PM
Where: Catlin Gabel School at 8825 SW Barnes Road in Portland
Register: Online here. Remember that day of race registration is quite a bit more expensive, so register early to save money!
