The voting is over and we are excited to announce our Bend Beer Chase relay team name for Run Oregon is:
Under Beer Pressure to Run Oregon
Here are the results from the voting:
- 48% for Under Beer Pressure to Run Oregon
- 38% for Run Oregon – The Know it Ales
- 5% for Run Oregon – Shaken, Not Stirred
- 0& for Crawl Home to Run Oregon
- 0% for I know it Ales to Run Oregon
Submitted suggestions:
- Run Oregon Beer-dos
- Will RUN OREGON for Beer
In our last article Bend Beer Chase: Run Oregon is fielding a team, Robin York and I talked about why we were excited to run the Bend Beer Chase relay and thoughts on some of the breweries we had visited in our previous trips to the great city of Bend.
Below Greg LeBlanc and newlywed dynamic duo Anne and Scott Milligan tell why they are looking forward to this event.
Gregg LeBlanc:
“The thought of running a relay race and have beer sounds like a perfect combination. Having moved to Oregon 20+ years ago and then starting a craft brewery, the beer part of this equation might be more of an obsession than a passion. Bend has become a hotbed of great breweries making unique beers. As a runner who logs 2,000+ miles annually it might be said that good beer is my reward for the miles I run. During my 20 years in Oregon, the only relay that I’ve run is the Hood to Coast, so this is also a good chance to mix it up some. There is so much energy in a van during a relay between running and then supporting teammates.
Each summer our family heads to Bend to SunRiver for vacation. Our daughters enjoy the pool and taking the canoes up the Deschutes. I find this good family fun although we usually save a day for heading into Bend when they can shop before having lunch at Deschutes Brewery. One of the reasons that we head to Deschutes is that I have come to respect that every beer that they brew is spot on with the taste matching the beer profile. The Black Butte Porter has the right notes of toffee from the roasted malts. Their pale ales are either hoppy or citrusy as they should be. Add to this that Deschutes brews some test brews and cask conditioned ales only available at the brewery and my palate is whet with anticipation.
During my visits to Bend I’ve had the pleasure of visiting 10 Barrel Brewing and Three Creeks Brewing – each has some great beers too. As someone that tries to purchase a different beer each time I buy beer, I’ve also tried some from a few of the other participating breweries that we will be chasing during our relay endeavor.
Like any team sport, we need to be there for each other. While I only know one of our teammates, they should have faith that I will be there for them to run my share, be there if they need me to run extra miles and even sample anything that they feel might be too adventurous for them.”
Anne Milligan and Scott Branscum:
“As newlyweds running our first race together, we’re excited to put our relationship to the test with a one day relay over the course of 70 miles.
Scott: Anne has been running the entire time we’ve dated (we actually met at the after party for her first marathon) and although I swore my running days were behind me when I left the Air Force as a PJ in the late 2000s, her enthusiasm for running has finally made me concede that it might just be fun for me as well. It’s worth a shot, right? What’s the worst that can happen with a new husband and wife racing together for the first time, spending the day in a van? Anne seemed to enjoy her first one-day relay in May. All else failing, getting away from the start of the Portland rain for a weekend sounds great and we would love to go see Bend.
Anne: I’m so excited that after two and a half years of steady campaigning, I’ve finally convinced Scott to participate in a race with me. After my first one-day relay at 12 Bridges in May this year, I went from being totally intimidated by relays to being completely hooked. It was such a blast to spend a day in a car with my fellow runners, running and getting to know each other in a fun, friendly team environment. I also have to confess that I’ve never been to Bend—sacrilege, right? This race finally gives me a solid reason to finally experience the beauty of the high desert in a 70-mile tour, traveling from brewery to brewery which brings up another fun point—beer! Nothing is more refreshing after a good run than a draft of good, local beer. When I saw this event come up, I knew this was a must-do.
The Breweries
As “research” for this race, we headed out to our local Fred Meyers and picked up some Knotty Blonde Ale by Three Creeks Brewery, an India Session Red by Silver Moon Brewery, and an Eruption Imperial Red Ale by Worthy Brewing. We were a little surprised to find that these were just about the only non-IPA Bend brewery beers we could pick up at our local store off Burnside & NW 21st, but it was still under construction/renovation—so maybe that’s why (they actually have a growler station now with four free tastes, which is pretty damn cool if you ask us). All three breweries did a great job with their brews—well balanced, not too hoppy (a great misgiving of ours about beers in the PacNW—it’s like an arms race, but with hops). We can’t wait to try more when we’re finally in Bend for the first time next weekend!”
There is still time left to sign up for the Bend Beer Chase which is on Saturday, October 11 with team packet pickup on Friday, October 10 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. You can still sign up for the full relay with a team of 1-6 people or run the 6Keg run portion of the event only.
This one-day relay event is a great introduction to team relay running put on by Cascade Lakes Race Group, which also runs Cascade Lakes Relay, which is now open for registration.
