The annual ORRC Champoeg 10k/20k/30k took place on Saturday, March 7th at Champoeg State Park near St Paul, Oregon. 375 runners and 45 walkers had fun on this sunny morning on the winding paths through the park along the Willamette River. Complete results can be found here.
The Champoeg 10k is part of the ORRC 10k series, and its organization is unique in that runners in the 20k and 30k are also getting results for their 10k splits. When I arrived at the start area at the Riverside Picnic Shelter, it took me just minutes to pick up my bib and I had plenty of time to go to the bathroom and warm up. Waiting for the 10am start time for the 10k runners, we watched several 30k runners (who had started at 8am) turning around for the their third lap of the out-and-back course. I also watched fellow blogger Teresa finish her 20k (Read her race recap here.)
Champoeg 10k Course
The 10k run is beautiful! The first mile was somewhat crowded on the walking paths and the road at the west end of the park, but we stretched out pretty soon. Running in the sun, I was glad I had decided to run in shorts and t-shirt. The first mile and a half of the course was very flat and I was able to move along quickly. The first water station was at mile marker 1.5, well staffed with Boy Scout volunteers, and also offered fuel gels and a porta-potty. The next section of the trail was very pretty on rolling bike paths. The turnaround at 3.1 miles did not have an aid station, but it did have a timing mat to get the 5k split time as well.
Champoeg 10k near the turnaround
My mile four right after the turnaround was my slowest of the race and my overall average pace dropped. The rolling of the path became more noticeable to me, and I took some walking breaks. After passing the aid station (mile 4.5) I got a second wind and was able to speed up again. I switched my iPod from podcast to music and passed a few people, which is great motivation in the last mile. When my GPS chirped at me for the sixth time to indicate completion of another mile, I pushed away the tired and ran up the hill to the finish line .
Instant Results selfie at the finish.
After crossing the line, there was a table set up with a couple of tablets where runners could check their official result instantly, which is a nice little perk. I made my way over to the picnic shelter where food and drink was set up. I got a Subway sandwich, cookies and water, and went back to cheering on other finishers. Overall I experienced a nicely organized run.
