Shamrock Run will forever hold a place in my heart as the first major running event I participated in. And also as the first major cancellation I experienced in 2020 due to the developing pandemic. With multiple distance options, green sparkles everywhere you look, and a huge beer garden after the finish line, it is easy to understand why Shamrock Run has been part of Portland for 45 years.
The event (and seriously, this is an EVENT) begins and ends at Waterfront Park with lots of booths to wander until your start time. The Finish Line Festival is nearby so you can sneak a peek, and get your ID checked, before you start out.
There are six different distance options: half marathon, 15K, 8K, 5K, 4-mile Stride (for walkers); and the 1K (for kids). My favorite distance is the 15K. It requires a grueling mile-ish going up Terwilliger to OHSU, then a mostly downhill for the second half of the course. The half marathon uses the same course plus some miles on Naito. I would rather just get up and over that hill ASAP – but that’s just me :).
All finishers earn a shamrock-themes finisher medal, event shirt, and refreshments at the after-party. Check out the release video to see which medal is for your preferred distance.
Shamrock Run
Details:
- When: Sunday, March 12
- 5K at 8am.
- 15K at 8:55am.
- Half Marathon at 9:20am.
- OHSU Doernbecher’s Leprechaun Lap 1K at 9:40am.
- 8K at 10:10am. Stride Walk (4 miles) at 10:30.
- Where: Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park (SW Naito Parkway & Pine Street)
- Packet Pick-Up:
- Friday March 10 3-7pm
- Saturday March 11 10am-4pm
- Oregon Convention Center, Hall D (777 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd)
- Cost:
- Half Marathon for $90
- 15K for $65
- 8K for $45
- 5K for $40
- Stride Walk for $40
- Doernbecher Leprechaun Lap for $20
- Virtual Race options also available
