I ran a rainy half marathon sometime in the spring and was looking to improve on my time with an early fall race and was so pleased to find the Cherry City Half! I love an inaugural race and was especially drawn to a new race somewhere I don’t typically run.
I had only ever been to Minto-Brown Island Park once before (fun fact, it was on a run with the Run Oregon owner!) and remembered it being lovely, so this race, I knew, would be beautiful.
I met one of the race directors at packet pickup – which was at the cute and locally owned running store in Salem, Gallagher’s Fitness Resources – and got a little insight into how big this inaugural event was going to be: let’s just say it was a roaring success with over 700 runners total across all the distances! Amazing turnout!
Our swag bags had a cute gray, white, and pink shirt, coupons for local businesses, including the running store and a winery, and some other little goodies to try, as well as the bib (of course). The race is chip-timed by our friends at Eclectic Edge Racing.
The half marathon started first at 8 AM from Riverfront Park and I arrived around 7:10 to be able to park (the lot was full already but there was ample street and garage parking just across the street), as well as do a little warm up jog and, of course, find the port-a-potties.
The park had been turned into a runner’s dream, with food trucks lined up for whatever your post-race stomach was craving. There were tables everywhere, music on the stage, and just a fun vibe all around.
For a fun little twist on this late summer event, it had rained the night before and was a bit drizzly that morning as well, so we got the announcement that the course had been re-routed, but had been re-marked and rest assured we’d still hit the 13 mile distance (editor’s note: I know EXACTLY where this was rerouted despite not running it – its always flooded in one specific location).
As runners made last minute decisions between long-sleeves or short, ditching jackets or sunglasses, putting in headphones and ensuring satellites were locked in, the countdown began and we were off. It was perfect running weather.
We started running north, crossed the Union Street bridge, and made a loop around Wallace Marine Park and returning back to Riverfront Park before the Minto-Brown loop. There were aid stations roughly every 1-2 miles with incredible volunteers handing out water and electrolytes, and at the later aid stations, some chews as well.
Along the entire course, I was surprised to note, there were spectators in unexpected places. Teenagers with Bluetooth speakers and homemade signs, families in chairs ringing cowbells, solo spectators either waiting for their runner or enjoying a morning in the park watching others accomplish their goals, but it was a very fun atmosphere along the entire route. It was so nice to feel supported, not only by volunteers, but by the community as well.
The course was incredibly well thought-out in that we only had two small sections that we hit more than once, otherwise it was so scenic and fast running. There was one small bit of non-paved terrain but would have been quite do-able for an adaptive athlete and the RDs made note of that as well. The small glimpses of fall were among the trees, with the greens turning yellow here and there and the rain made the ferns extra vibrant.
While the total elevation gain for the course is less than 300 feet, you do have an ever-so-slightly uphill finish. With the iconic bridge as the North Star in the distance, and the music and cheering growing louder, it feels a little grueling to see that blacktop stretch out that last half mile. It’s a fast course, with the first place female at 1:26 and first place male at 1:09.
The medals are the cutest pink and white and, my favorite feature, had the year on it.
I really enjoyed this event and was so thrilled this race was such a success. The 10K, 5K, and Kids races all had great turnouts, equally beautiful courses, and the whole day was a fun vibe, which I hope continues to be the case for many, many years to come. There’s nothing like a September half marathon to bookend the race season and Cherry City checks all the boxes.
