One of my favorite parts of participating in organized races is running in new and unique locations. While I have been to the Oregon Zoo many times, the course for the Summer Solstice 5k at the Zoo will take participants through some areas that are typically off limits to visitors. The event takes place on Saturday, June 11 and its 7pm start time is one hour after the zoo grounds close to regular visitors. The event…
Nathan is pretty well-known for their sports accessories, from hydration packs and belts to headlamps and reflective vests, and everything in between. They’ve revamped their QuickStart pack, complete with a 1.5L bladder, and is now available online. I’ve been running with a Nathan pack for easily 5 years and any race start will be a showcase of their many styles and iterations as well. One of their introductory packs, the QuickStart, has been updated and…
There’s no arguing that Newport is a quintessential Oregon coast town. From the iconic bridge to the sea fishing vibes downtown, it’s such a great town at the heart of the central coast. In early June, about 1,000 runners will descend on the community to run their gorgeous marathon (and half). The race starts in Yaquina Bay State Park at the lighthouse and the course heads north along the ocean, loops through the city, then…
The 9th annual Run on the River in Astoria is coming up in just a month of Sunday, May 15th. With a beautiful and scenic route along the Astoria Riverwalk, this event offers a half marathon, 10K, or 5K option starting and ending at Buoy Beer Company (which will also host the post-race seafood boil lunch!). This is a partially closed course and will have features such as trolley tracks and trestle bridges. You can…
If you haven’t locked in plans for Memorial Weekend, consider running the Hurricane Creek Half (or 5k) in Joseph on Saturday, May 28th! It’s a bit of a challenge, with ~1,600 feet of gain but with views of the Wallowa mountains, Eagle Cap Wilderness, Seven Devils, and high valleys, but it’s well worth the effort. It is an out and back course, starting at Joseph City Park at 4,200 ft and climbs to a mile high…
Spring races are popping up left and right and some of us are already signed up for summer events, so the timing of the 26th annual McDonald Forest 50K (aka “Mac 50”) is a good one to squeeze in. This year’s event will be held in Corvallis on Saturday, May 7, 2022. The Mac 50 means business, with around 7,000 of feet of gain on over 20 miles of beautiful singletrack and about 10 miles…
Despite being just 90 minutes away from Portland, I can count on one hand how many times I’ve been to McDonald Forest. My first memory of the place involves a very rainy ultra and what was practically a lake at the finish line. Luckily that was not the case for this year’s 15K just a few short weeks ago. The race begins at Peavy Arboretum and parking was easy. It’s a beautifully forested start/finish line…
It’s well-known by now that the Peterson Ridge Rumble is the perfect kick off to spring trail racing. The Sisters run known for it’s singletrack, good distance options, dog-friendly, socks, and burritos is back again on Sunday, April 10th. Starting and ending at the Sisters Middle School, the course is mostly trail with a few sections of dirt road and views of the mountains along the way. The 40 miler will have 5 full aid stations and…
The Corvallis Half (and 5K and 1K) is a great race to kick off the spring running season and will be held on Saturday, April 9th, 2022. The half marathon will start inside Reser Stadium on the field and the first 2 miles are on the Oregon State University campus. The course is described at “Tour de Corvallis” a mostly flat course with two gradual climbs and two gradual descents! The 5k will start just…
If there was ever a race director who made all my trail running dreams come true, it’d be Alpine Running. Accomplished ultra runners themselves, these RDs know all the best trails (with all the best views), how to run a smooth event (with all the best snacks), and really just provide top-notch races here in Oregon. They have everything from halfs to hundos and they are truly some of my favorite events to both run…
