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Race Preview: 2019 Hero Up Half Marathon and 5K Run on August 31

Matt Rasmussen
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Hero Up Half Marathon and 5K Run will take place at Cook Park in Tigard on Saturday, August 31st at 7:30am and 8:30am, respectively. Not only does this event give you a fun excuse to dress up as your favorite superhero or villain, all of the proceeds go towards fighting childhood cancer. Now in it’s 7th year, the Hero Up Half Marathon and 5K has already donated $118,000 to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Bank at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. This run was started to honor Keith, a young boy who courageously fought a malignant brain tumor at the age of 3. Keith endured 19 months of treatments and showed his family what a true hero looks like.

To honor Keith and help other families affected by childhood cancer, his family decided to start this event in hopes of following Keith’s heroic ways. He loved superheroes and running is a fun way to raise money and increase awareness, so it’s a perfect combination. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month and the same month young Keith lost his fight, so it only seems fitting for this event will be the kickoff to that month. Every day 43 children are diagnosed with cancer (ugh) and this run is a ridiculously easy way to make a small difference with $100 of the proceeds being donated.

If the cause doesn’t convince you to run this event, the run itself should. With costumes galore there’s always something to distract you. It’s a flat course that takes you through Cook Park, Durham City Park, Tualatin Community Park, and a few Tigard neighborhoods. It’s a pretty popular running area, so the course will most likely be familiar to locals, but you don’t often get to run it alongside superheroes. There will be 6 aid stations along the route and plenty of volunteers lining the streets.

Costumes are optional, but prizes will be awarded for the following categories:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eb_kAZKQ1Us

 

There will be a Kids Race at 10am. The fun run is technically free, but a $5 donation is suggested either online or bring cash on race morning. They will be collecting new pajamas and new toys for kids in the Cancer and Blood Disorders Clinic at Randall Children’s Hospital. Items can be dropped off during packet pick up or race morning. If family or friends want to ‘join’ you for the race, but live too far away, there is a virtual run option. All swag will be mailed to the participant.

If you’re looking for a run with heart, this is the one. Running is fun, but it’s better when you know you’re doing it to help others. And the best part is, that you can have a blast doing all of the above. Get registered, decide on a costume and come honor Keith with the Hero Up Half Marathon and 5K Run.

Hero Up Half Marathon / 5k (Tigard)

 

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