The city of Bend certainly has become synonymous with many things, including the stunning mountain views, year-round outdoor activities, a micro-brew scene unlike most any other, and a running community that continues to get bigger and bigger every year. The St Patrick’s Day Dash & Bash is a race that draws quite the crowd and has often been referred to as the massive sea of green, seen running down the street! And because of level of professional runners who live in Bend, it is not out of the question to see one or two of them show up to this particular event….just for fun.
In 2011, I picked this to be my first ever race. I showed up early to do a warm up, assuming I might run a half mile, or so. I noticed two guys who looked like they might be fun to run with so I approached them about doing a warm up. Mario Mendoza and Max King then led me on a 4 mile warm up, before they threw down matching 15 minute performances. Since then, Mario and Max have become friends and we have joked about that day more than once. But make no mistake about it, this event draws some solid talent each year and it can be a lot of fun to see who makes an appearance.
When: Sunday, March 17th. Race starts at 10:05am.
Cost/Registration: $35.00 through 2/28. Go to active.com to register today!
