It should not come as a surprise that an evening race will have higher temperatures than an early start time, but when the daytime high for Saturday was predicted to be over 100*, I was questioning my decision to sign up for the Twilight Run (for the third time). Thankfully, the day’s weather didn’t pan out as forecast, and it was a balmy 96* when I parked my car in the Tigard High School parking lot.
My family had decided to come look at the balloons with me after I run, so we had purchased their balloon festival admission tickets online (Festival admission was included in my race registration), along with a parking ticket for the lot at Tigard High School ($5 parking; a fundraiser for Tigard HS). We quickly got onto the balloon festival grounds, glanced at the vendors and fair setup on the football field, but headed towards the playground and picnic shelter on the east end of Cook Park where the Twilight Run would start and finish.
I had already picked up my race packet, so when I got to the starting area I had plenty of time to visit the vendor tents. Live music was playing, and several vendors were giving out ice-cold water, which was greatly appreciated! Cool misting fans were also set up to offer a cooling spot. The kids race started right on time at 6:30, and it’s always fun to watch the young crowd run their mile. With their finish line near the vendor tents, plenty of people were there to cheer on the kiddos after a job well done.
The 5k also started right on time, at 7pm. Huber Timing was on site for chip race timing, promising instant results after the race (and they weren’t kidding: I had an email with my Finisher’s Certificate within minutes of crossing the finish line). Runners were encouraged to line up according to their projected pace (volunteers held up pace signs to help the lineup) and were then released in waves to allow the field to stretch out, making it not so crowded. The 5k course was mostly on paved walking paths in Cook Park, with just a short bit on packed bark trails. The course was roughly clover leaf or T-shaped with the water station positioned at the intersection of the T. In theory that is the perfect spot since every runner will pass that spot three times during the race. In reality, there should have been a third water table for the first stop, since the middle of the pack and slower participants had to cross the path of the faster runners in order to get to the water table.
The course was very well-marked, both with chalk lines and with volunteers, so there was no confusion about where to go next. Regarding hills, it was mostly flat and slightly rolling, except for one short but steep hill shortly after the 2 mile mark. (I was disappointed that I didn’t see last year’s sign saying “I love hills – they make me strong!”)
The finish under the trees in Cook Park was shady and lovely with lots of water available. The park had a lot of trash cans already in place, and bottle recycle bins were placed next to just about every trash can, so it was easy to put the plastic bottles in the right place. Post-race goodies included bagels, oranges, Kind bars, cherries, and soft pretzels. I got some food, looked up my finish time, and after the raffle drawing we headed over to the festival grounds to watch the balloons get inflated and glow.
Overall, the Twilight run is a very well-organized event. I like the location and the course. The water station logistics could be improved on, but I was very happy that there was plenty of water for everybody. This race will definitely be on my list again next year.
Full results can be found here.
