The beautiful view at the top of Mt. Tabor by Janna Nelson
Guest Blog By Janna Nelson. Thanks Janna for letting us know about this event!
Last weekend I had the privilege of running the Mt. Tabor Tar and Trail run for the 2nd time. This small but fierce run has only been around for 3 years now so the price ($15 for the 5k and $25 for the 10k) is very affordable, chip timed and it supports a wonderful park in SE Portland.
The 5k run starts about midway up Mt. Tabor on the road (tar) and winds down to the bottom then back up for a bit. Soon you hit the trail portion of the run – my advice, take advantage of the downhill. This will definitely help your time once you hit that stairway that seems to go straight up! There are nice flat paths to get your heart rate back down as you run around the reservoirs, but don’t get too comfy as you still need to run that final switchback trail to the top before you can loop around to the finish.
There was good support on the trail, important for this westside girl that rarely runs at Mt. Tabor. A beautiful view greets you at the top of Mt. Tabor. and you look straight down Hawthorne to downtown Portland. The only thing I would change this past year was move the water station to the midway point, only because this year was unseasonably warm.
The dreaded stairs by Janna Nelson
There were prizes for the winner of each Male and Female and ribbons for the top three in each age group. At the end – you could check the raffle board for your bib number , and see if you may have won a sweet prize.
There is also a 10k run that utilizes all three of the trails on Mt Tabor. As I have only been brave enough to attempt the 5k I can only imagine that the 10k has at least twice as many challenging hill climbs. Some day if I ever take my hill training seriously I may attempt it, for now though the 5k is enough to challenge any runner.
Mt Tabor Tar and Trail was held on the same Sunday as Race for the Cure. Not having to fight the crowds, the very affordable price and knowing it is supporting a unique and important landmark in Portland has me putting it on my run calendar again for next year.
Best Running Buddies with Anne Crispino-Taylor, the Race Director, and Board member of The Friends of Mt. Tabor by Janna Nelson
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