Race Preview: 2016 Twilight Run 5K

Although fall is my favorite season, it’s hard to deny that Pacific Northwest summers can be pretty spectacular. It’s no surprise that all kinds of outdoor events take advantage of the warm weather and long days, such as the Tigard Festival of Balloons. For the past seven years, the Festival of Balloons has included the Twilight Run 5K. Located at Cook Park, this run will again take place on Saturday evening of the Festival of Balloons weekend. Race entries for the 5K will be capped at 750 and has tended to sell out in the past, so if you are interested, read on and register!

The 5K route can be seen here. It looks a lot like the old Cook Park route that Uberthons used to run circa 2011-12, with a southward spur across a bridge over the Tualatin River, paralleling train tracks, before heading back into the woods of Durham City Park. There will be a water/aid station roughly at the halfway point. I’ve run a ton of races at Cook Park over the years, and it’s one of my favorite local spots for racing. The paths can get a little crowded with larger races (like this one is expected to be), but the scenery is nice and varied.

Besides the race itself, the $35 fee gets you a tech shirt, ribbon, post-race snacks, a raffle ticket for prizes, and entry to the balloon festival. Note that parking is available at Tigard High School for $5 but will be heavily impacted because of the festival; it’s a little under half a mile from the high school to the start of the race.

Twilight Run 5K

When: Saturday, June 25, 2016, at 7 p.m.

Where: Cook Park, 17005 Southwest 92nd Avenue, Tigard

Register: Online here ($35, includes race shirt and entry to the Festival of Balloons) — NO DAY OF RACE REGISTRATION

Pre-race packet pick-up: Thursday and Friday, June 23-24, between 4:00 and 7:30 p.m. at Road Runner Sports, 7063 SW Nyberg Street, Tualatin.