Meg RobertsEducator. Learner. Runner. Writer. TBD.
Point-to-point courses are my favorite kind because they leave me with no other option than forward. Best Damn Run, put on by Oregon Road Runners Club, gives participants that point-to-point motivation and adds on a lovely course alongside the Clackamas River. Runners and walkers (ORRC is the best for including all paces) are bussed to the starting line at North Fork Lake with the finish line waiting in Estacada. And at that finish line is…
Trail running is a great adventure, but it can sometimes feel a little bit overwhelming for folks new to running the dirt rather than the sidewalk or the track. That makes the 5K, 10K, and half marathon options so good at Oxbow Trail Runs. The courses are in Oxbow Regional Park, just 30 minutes from downtown Portland. And the loop course for the half marathon means never feeling too far away from home base. …
All the goodness and joy that is the Boring Marathon, Half-Boring Half-Marathon, Constantly Boring 8K, and Virtual Race Series can be found in its name. And in their philosophy when it comes to the finish line: “We have always felt that runners should support runners. We are all one family. With that in mind, after your race feel free to return to the finish line and help place medals on the runners who come in…
Update: As of 8/7, this event has been canceled. Oregon Road Runners Club (ORRC) has been offering quality races in the Pacific Northwest for over 50 years. In 2022, they are bringing us all a brand new race in a brand new style. For the Poker Relay, it’s all about your cards at the end of the race. For this new event, participants sign up for teams of one to five participants to complete five…
With the school supplies already stocked at Target, it must be time to start planning for fall (just ignore those 90 degree days in the forecast). One of my newer fall racing traditions is to join in the Appletree Marathon, Half Marathon, and Sunset 5K. Thanks to the schedule for these races, you can participate in the 5K Saturday night and then the marathon or half marathon on Sunday morning and earn a bonus “Beast…
In 1972, the first official female competitors joined the starting line of the Boston Marathon. In 2022, females made up 43% of those finishing the 26.2 mile journey. I am so grateful for all the generations of female runners before me that have opened up the sport for the rest of us. Just one example of women taking up more space in the running world is in the shoe market where more and more brands…
Mt. Tabor Park is a wonderful gem in SE Portland that I don’t get to nearly enough. It can seem hidden in the neighborhood, and yet is large enough to get lost among all the trails for an evening. If you haven’t been to this park lately, then this is the race for you because it will get you there four times this summer. Terrapin Events is hosting the Dog Days of Summer Series at…
Six miles sounds like no big deal, unless that six miles involves climbing up 2,000 feet of elevation (and then back down). In that case, the 6 mile Gnar Gnar race sounds harder than a 26.2 mile marathon. But hard has to be exactly what you are looking for when you sign up a race to the top of Mt. Hood Skibowl. This race, put on by Go Beyond Racing, has participants traveling multiple…
Can you smell that? Its garlic! Aka the smell of a great summer field trip. The annual North Plain’s Garlic Festival is also the site of ORRC’s Garlic Festival half marathon, 10K, and 5K race. The 5K loops through North Plains, the 10K is an out-and-back course, and the half marathon is two loops around the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course. So if everyone in the family signs up for a different race, you can share…
I love a race that takes me somewhere that my regular runs can’t go. And Bridge of the Gods Run is the perfect example of a unique race with the starting line at the Washington edge of a bridge that normally only cars and trucks get to pass over. Lots of pictures get taken in that first mile, and then lots of hills keep you company for the rest of the journey. After crossing over…
