Two of my favorite weekend activities came together at the Oregon Brewery Series 5k at Laurelwood Brewery on August 11st. I’m no stranger to running for beer, but surprisingly, this was my first time running one of the races for the Oregon Brewery Series. I registered my husband for it too and he hasn’t run since Hood to Coast 3 years ago, but going to Laurelwood was enough to entice him to try.
It was a perfect day for a race, as the recent heat wave had cooled off a bit. When we got there, everyone was friendly, happy, and ready for fun. Finding parking was easy, and the check in was quick and painless. We were given blank race bibs to decorate ourselves and we had time to hang out and enjoy coffee, cold-pressed juice, and bagels. After a brief pep talk and a group photo, the bubble machine came on and we were off through the chute and onto our “3.1 mile-ish” journey.
The route was flat and took us through some cute neighborhoods in NE Portland. The 5k’s in the Brewery Series are untimed fun runs, so my husband and I took it easy an even walked a few times. We were in good company, as many of the other participants seemed to have the same idea. We saw lots of people running but there were always people behind us enjoying the day at a leisurely pace. There were friendly volunteers at all of the major turns, and though they don’t shut down streets for these events, we never felt unsafe. The route mostly kept us away from busy areas, other than the ones that were unavoidable due to Laurelwood’s location.
It was over before we knew it, and there was a welcoming crowd at the finish line (and more bubbles!) There was a table of swag waiting as a reward for completing the race, and we had a few options. Pint glasses, beer koozies, sunglasses, and water bottles were all there to choose from. We also each got a loaf of bread, various KIND bars, and coupons for Laughing Planet’s delicious cold-pressed juices. We also got a token for a free beer and Laurelwood was kind enough to offer us Happy Hour prices on food and beer. There were shirts for sale for only $10-$15 each, and cool hats and other merch. As we were getting our tokens, it started to rain, so we headed inside to enjoy our beer, order some tasty food, and find out if we’d won something in the after-race raffle.
10% of the proceeds from the races in this series support the Oregon Brewshed Alliance, Dollar For Portland, and Life Vest Inside, and the value you get for the price is really great. This event was very well organized and we even got email communication before race day so there were no surprises.
I can’t wait to do another one of these races, as it was a really great “day date” for me and my husband. It would be a fun event for a group of friends or just a chance to get a break from the kids like we did. However, the event is also very family-friendly, as there were lots of people with strollers and little ones as well. There are still plenty of these on the calendar at lots of fantastic breweries, so I’d definitely recommend you check one out soon!
Finishers! Where’s the beer?
