If you’re looking for a race to run on the last weekend of September, you are in luck! There are three different races in Salem to choose from, all of which support good causes.
The 7th Annual Mad Hatter Dash starts at 9am on Saturday, September 29 at Wallace Marine Park Softball Complex. The race takes participants through the Union Street Pedestrian Bridge, through Riverfront Park, over the Center Street bridge, and finishing with a loop on the trails of Wallace Marine Park. Registration costs $30 and includes an event shirt, post race snacks and awards. There is also a Mad Hat costume competition. Proceeds benefit the Salem Dream Center.
Also on the morning of Saturday, September 29, the Tamale Trot 5k and 10k starts at Salem’s Riverfront Park, and takes runners south across the Minto Island Bridge. Music along the course provides entertainment to boost you along. Registration includes an event t-shirt, and cost is $40 for the 10k, $30 for the 5k, $15 for kids 12 and under. Families of four can sign up for the 5k for $65, and there is a “virtual run” option for $10. Proceeds from the race benefit Friends of Pimpollo, which is “a nonprofit organization based in Salem, Oregon with the mission to provide educational opportunities to children and their families living in the impoverished regions of Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico.”
On Sunday, September 30th at 8am, the Salem 5k for Kidneys gives you another chance to check your 5k time with a scenic run/walk starting in Riverfront Park and leading across the Minto Island Bridge. Registration is $30 and includes an event shirt and refreshments after the race. The event benefits the American Kidney Fund.
