Ready to get Bored?! Ok, ok, that’s a gimme since this race is called the Boring Marathon! Appropriately name for it starts and finishes in Boring, Oregon on Sunday, September 17. What’s not so boring is the multiple distance options: the Constantly Boring 8k, the Half Boring Half Marathon and the full-on Boring Full Marathon. Currently, the race does not appear to be impacted by the area forest fires, but anyone with breathing problems like asthma should use their own judgment about participating in any running activities.
This is the 3rd year for the Boring Marathon, Half Marathon, and 8k, which is run primarily on the Springwater Trail. Portions of the marathon are on roads that aren’t closed to traffic, but that are low-traffic roads and especially on a Sunday morning will not be problem. Participants are asked to park at Boring Middle School or on surface streets in the surrounding neighborhood, but are asked to access the area for parking via SE Wally Rd. and SE School Ave as runners will be crossing SE Dee St. Spectators will find plenty of parking at Boring Station and Main City Park (in Gresham), both excellent places to watch the race.
If you haven’t signed up yet, registration will be open online through September 14th. You may notice that the registration options all say “Take 2” – the shirt and medal deadline has passed, but participants signing up can pick out a previous years’ medal and shirt as their race swag. The marathon is $100, the half marathon is $75, and the 8k is $50. There are less than 20 spots left in each race, so don’t wait too long! All proceeds will be given to the Sam Barlow High School Track and Cross Country Teams and the West Orient Middle School Track team.
Aid stations are placed along the course, with the farthest being 3.5 miles from its neighbor. They will have water and electrolyte drink, and some will have food. As always, you should bring anything with you that you know you can have exactly what you want. The course will also be supported with porta-potties; even though you’ll be running through some wooded areas please use the actual potties. You can view course maps of all three distances here.
Participants may pick up their packet Friday at Gresham Therapeutic Associates located at 283 NW Miller Ave. in Gresham from 12-5 p, Saturday at Boring Brewing at 29300 SE Haley Road in Boring from 12-5p, or Sunday before the race. The course itself is open for six hours, at which time aid stations will be taken down, but anyone still on the course may continue with their race as the finish line does not close and no one will be DQ’d based on time.
Race organizers invite everyone to return to the finish line after their distance is covered to cheer on those still finishing. On their website, they write, “We have always felt that runners should support runners. We are all one family. With that in mind, we would ask that those faster runners who finish, return to the finish line and help place medals on the runners who come in after you. Handing out medals to our fellow runners would be a great tradition to start and a way to give back. Runners supporting runners, because we are all winners, no matter the finishing time.”
When: September 17, 2017
What time: The marathon has a nice early start, at 6:30a, followed by the marathon at 7a, and the 8k at 7:30a.
Where: Boring Station Trailhead Park just off SE Dee St. in downtown Boring (This park is directly behind the middle school)
Register: Online here for $100 for the full, $75 for the half, or $50 for the 8k.
