You know a race is successful when it lasts over 45 years. So get your feet wet at the 2015 Seaside Beach Run, a great local event in its 49th year on the beautiful Seaside Beach! Of course weather is unpredictable, so you never know what you will get, but usually July is a safe bet for some great running on the beach.
This event was started in 1966 by two lifeguards, and 44 finishers completed the original 8-mile course. By 1978, when the event was held in August, there were around 1,200 finishers! However, by the late 80’s, the race was run by less than 100 participants because the schedule conflicted with Hood to Coast. It was moved to July and has been steadily becoming a bigger event each year since.
Many runners who have run this event once try to get back as often as possible – it’s in a beautiful location and it’s a challenging course. There is usually a highly competitive field, so it’s an exciting event. The event offers a 5k, 10k, and two walks: an untimed and a competitive 5k Prom Walk (a walk on the historic Seaside promenade). There’s also a really cute 25-yard Kid’s Sand Dash, run in soft sand and followed by a kid’s treasure hunt.
The course (1 loop for the 5k, 2 for the 10k) runs a counterclockwise route with the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Nacanicum River on the other. What’s great about this course is that it’s beautiful, it’s great for spectators because you can watch things unfold, and it’s quite the challenge. There is a a fantastic view of Tillamook Head and most of the beach race is on packed sand at low tide.
Net proceeds of all of Fit To Be Teens, Inc. charitable events go to provide fitness opportunities for Clatsop County middle and high school students. The event website describes the success of these efforts “As a result of last year’s Seaside Beach Run, we were able to offer over seven hundred Clatsop County students free access to a large full-service commercial fitness facility—and to date, over 130 students are already enjoying this benefit (and this number is steadily growing as we continue to get the word out to the community).”
Take your dogs on a leash following Oregon Parks regulations or try it with a stroller on the beach if you are looking for a challenge! Get there early though, as parking fills up quickly and overflows into residential street parking.