Small Race Preview: 3rd Annual Ugly Holiday Sweater 5K Run and 1 Mile Walk

Posted on December 4, 2014 by in 1-mile, 5k, Greater Portland Running, Small Race preview // 0 Comments

This is a FREE event and was so much fun last year, you can check out some of the race recaps here and mine is here. This event is an untimed 1 mile walk and 5K run/walk starting at the Tualatin Road Runner Sports. After the race, enjoy hot drinks and goodies along with the holiday festive environment and the crazy holiday sweaters that participants will be wearing! This event will benefit the Ladybug CDH Foundation, which is an organization dedicated to raising awareness of the birth defect congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and providing assistance to families with infants hospitalized by CDH. Participants have the option to make a donation when they register for this event. For entry to the event, they ask that you bring a NEW infant sized hats, socks or receiving blankets to donate to the Ladybug Foundation and NICU. Last year, the race event collected 83 pairs of socks, 42 hats, and 64 receiving blankets for hospitalized babies.

2013 winner

The event is untimed, so if you feel like you need to run or walk more than the 5K, you can do that. This is a perfect opportunity to burn off some extra holiday calories that might be accumulating with the season’s cookies, pies and other goodies finding their way in my house. Prizes are not awarded to the fastest runner but to some of the festive sweaters you might see out on the course.

Prizes and trophies are awarded for the “ugliest” holiday sweater. Last year, the winner wore a crazy, life sized sweater and the year before was a sweater designed to look like a fireplace with stockings on the mantel and an ipad built into the sweater playing a crackling fire.

The event is a ton of fun for everyone at any fitness level and family friendly too. (My kiddos were happy with the one mile loop last year and waited and cheered while I finished my 5K distance and enjoyed some of the egg nog and pasteries that were donated last year.)

I am sad to not be able to attend this year, but I hope you lace your shoes (with bells on) and tell me all about this fun event.