South Beach State Park view, photo from oregonstateparks.org
Newport should definitely be on your list of “places in Oregon to do a race,” so I wanted to be sure to give everyone advance notice on this event. The Twisted Pine Half Marathon and 5-miler, scheduled for Sunday, May 1 at South Beach State Park, is a unique race for a number of reasons. I’m going to just get right down to these reasons, because you can see for yourself why they’re awesome:
- It’s in South Beach State Park, which offers views of Newport’s Yaquina Bay Bridge
- The 5-miler is on single track trail
- The half marathon is on single track trail and 8 miles of packed sand
- The first 75 participants can camp for FREE the night before the event
- The prices are right: $50 for a half marathon and $40 for the 5-miler (if you sign up ahead of time)
If you need more convincing, sorry – nothing I can say will transform a PAFAR* to a trail runner.
This event is put on by a Newport runner that I’ve gotten to know through his volunteering with the Coast Hills Running Club. Ed Cortes, a laid-back and very smart dude, and his family love not just running, but the sense of community found at a race like this one. Post-race, there will be food & beer for participants, and a live band. The course showcases some of the trails around Newport that you can bookmark for your next trip to the coast, and offers amazing views of the Bay, the ocean, and of course the Yaquina Bay Bridge.
Here are the vitals:
When: Sunday, May 1, 2016
What time: The half will start at 9a, followed by the 5-miler at 10a
Where: South Beach State Park in Newport, Ore.
Register: You can register online for $50 for the half and $40 for the 5-Miler, or Day of Race for $55/$45
Now, pardon me while I try to convince my husband to sign up for the half marathon so that I can go camping on the Oregon Coast and run a trail 5-miler.
*Pansy-Ass Front Avenue Runner
