This was my first time signing up and running the Foot Traffic Hop Hop Half Marathon and 5K. This time of year can be pretty dicey with my families schedules. Between baseball, swimming and taekwondo from the activities my boys do alone, will leave not much time for the activities that I like to participate in. Thankfully, this race was on the Saturday before Easter weekend. I knew this event would be the perfect race to get the whole family to come out and cheer me on. I decided on running the 5K, (mainly due to the race start time and having enough time to get to the other activities we had planned for that day).
For those who have never participated in this event before, here are some details. It is a race offering a half marathon, 10k and 5k. The event is Easter themed and features a beautiful course along Marine Drive. Medals are giant Easter Eggs, mimosas, Easter Brunch, Easter Egg Painting, costumes and more! The course is also chip timed, and the half course is certified. A great family friendly event!
Packet pickup was a breeze. There were several options of locations/ days/ and times. There was even a race day packet pickup option, which I usually try to avoid, due to long lines. I picked up my packet that Thursday (4/18) at the Foot Traffic downtown Portland. It was seamless, and took less than 5 minutes, my kind of packet pickup!
Race day approached quickly. I loaded up my family and we were off to the location of the race. The location of the course was at Kliever Armory Center in NE Portland. Once we arrived, my kids were on the hunt for the Easter Bunny. They were so excited for all the activities this event had, they could care less about my actual race. My race was about to start, so I made my way to the start line. Everyone participating in the 5K all made their way towards the starting line as well. I was surprised at the amount of people who had signed up for the race. Once the start gun went off, we all were off towards Marine Dr. The course was very flat. It started on NE 33rd, then out to Marine Drive. We ran on a bike path that was an out and back course. The 5k went very fast, probably due to the scenic views of the Columbia River and Mt. Hood. Even though the course was an out and back, and the path was shared by walkers and runners, it ended up not being an issue and everyone watched out and got out of the way for the faster runners. All the participants were friendly and cheered each other on. It was a great race! There was one aid station for the 5K, but served as two, because of the out and back course. The aid station featured water, sports drink, fuel and marshmallow peeps.
Once I crossed the finish line, and was handed my egg shaped medal, I looked everywhere for my family. They were no where to be found! I then made my way towards the celebration tent. I finally found them at the egg decorating station. The Hop Hop Half is such a family friendly event, there was something for everyone! They even had a bouncy house. To make it even better, the post race beverages were mimosas or beer, and a delicious croissant and egg sandwich to eat. I highly recommend this race for anyone wanting to run on a fast, flat scenic course, and don’t forget to invite your family!
