Everyone loves a run with great views. Sometimes, there is a catch to great views, and with the word ‘peak’ in the title, you could probably imagine what the catch is. The weather will likely be great on the June 20th event date, as mornings in June are often perfect. You can register online for $55 until the 18th, which will save you a few dollars. Those dollars are going to Hillsboro High School, so it has a good cause.
This area has some amazing roads to drive on, so I can imagine how fun it would be to run. It is on open roads, so it will be wise to be aware of your surroundings. Advertised as half pavement and half gravel, that will minimize the pounding your feet take on the average half. Personally, I like running on gravel for a couple of reasons, Mainly because it is easier on your joints than pavement. Plus there is a cool crunching sound! There will be 5 aid stations on the course and 3 places with porta potties. Sounds like a very well supported event to me.
Matt ran this race last year and I pulled out some quotes from his experience:
As we headed out of the starting area, we had a short straightaway as the hill loomed strong and mighty up ahead. I consciously ran slower than I would typically be comfortable with running (about 9 min/mi) and resisted the urge to pick up the pace as people passed me. I figured that I would either eventually catch them or they were going to beat me anyways. Slow and steady. This was a good internal conversation over the first 2 miles as they featured about an 800 foot gain of elevation. The hill just kept going. Each turn gave way to one more. And one more. And one more.
The rural running really made this race peaceful and there were a few great areas with some great vista views. The race was probably as perfect as it could be, but a light haze stunted just a little bit of the spectacular views of the surrounding areas. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a 9 out of 10 in the scenic department.
Where is this hill I heard so much about. And then…there it was. It rose like a phoenix from the ashes. It was quite literally almost straight up – or at least it felt that way. My legs started aching, the blister accumulating on my big toe was screaming, and my lungs were low on oxygen. I noticed the two runners within view in the front of me were taking different tasks in moving upward. One was literally running back and forth across the entire span of the road to avoid a straight up climb. The other was running “sideways” by doing lateral shuffling. My choice? Walk. I hate to admit it, but I just had to.
There are two packet pick up options. Of course, one is on race day, starting at 6:30 at Hagg’s Tree Farm on NW McCormick Hill Rd. The other would be the day before at the Foot Traffic on Cornell from 4-7 pm.
I have to admit, I am absolutely jealous of everyone that gets to run this event. It was on my must-do list until a friend reminded me that the June 20th date falls during Epic Relay, which I have already committed to. My heart sank lower than my purple Adidas when I heard that. Maybe next year, as the great location, promise of amazing views, well supported course, and many other perks may tempt me to accept the challenge of this hilly half.