Racing Towards Good Running Fortune at the Lucky Clover 5K/10K

St. Patrick’s Day is the start of the race season in the Pacific Northwest. Races are scheduled throughout Washington and Oregon to get folks up and moving in sun, rain, snow, or whatever weather March brings. Amid all those events, race directors have to be creative to stand out and invite participants to something special. The 2024 Lucky Clover 5k/10k event takes place on Sunday, March 17th in Springfield.

For the Lucky Clover – creativity comes in two main forms: when and where. With a 5:30pm start time, runners and walkers can have a leisurely Sunday before getting to the starting line in Dorris Ranch Park. The other real uniqueness about this event is that the participants get to decide how they want to tackle the course.

5K participants can choose from the 5K trail course or the 5K road course. 10K participants will complete one of each loop, with them deciding which loop to run first. The Start/Finish area provides transition between the loops, and a perfect spot for cheering from the sidelines.

Matt participated in this in 2019, and had this to say:

Though I have spent limited time running in Springfield, I actually generally knew what the road course was going to look like. A few months back, I did a little runsploring and stumbled upon this spot and vowed to return at some point to experience the awesomeness again. I didn’t necessarily think it would be at this event specifically, but I’m glad it was. The race started at Dorris Ranch, a great spot to park and explore the entirety of the trail system. course was a simple out-and-back on the Middle Fork Path, which runs alongside the middle fork of the Willamette River and provided some amazing views.

Finishers will be eligible for random prize drawings. Plus, the top three overall male and female finishers, and the top three in each age group will receive an award. Age groups are in five-year ranges so everyone has a shot to claim victory.