Easter eggs, bunnies and trails – oh my! The Easter Egg Stash Dash is a fun, family-oriented event held in Alton Baker Park in Eugene, Oregon. Kids up to 10 are welcome to partake in a 1K Easter egg hunt, and for everyone else there’s a choice of a 5K or a half marathon on Pre’s trail. The courses are looped and flat – you can feel the history of Tracktown beneath your feet while you run. After…
When choosing a race to run, one of the factors is always how scenic the course will be, and if I’m chasing a PR, I’ll also prefer a “flat and fast” over “rolling hills”. The Hop Hop Half and 5k on Easter Saturday (April 15th) fits both of those criteria. The race starts and ends at Kliever Armory on NE 33rd Dr, and takes runners on mostly flat paved roads and paths along 33rd Dr and Marine…
I haven’t had great success at long trail races, so the prospect of running the Spring Fling Half Marathon on the trails of the Alsea Falls Recreation Site in the wooded hills southwest of Corvallis might have seemed daunting. But something about running through the forest seemed to draw me to this event, and though there were 10k and 5k options, I decided to sign up for the half. Maybe it was a reaction to…
Portland’s Race For The Roses has been a fixture on the local running calendar for many years, and has become one of my favorite events. The race is an important fundraiser for Albertina Kerr, a non-profit organization that supports people with developmental disabilities and mental health challenges. Unlike many big Portland area races, Race For The Roses is an independent event, and that means that Albertina Kerr has been able to devote a great deal…
I ran the ORRC Vernonia Half Marathon for the first time in 2006 and it was a small race of maybe 100 participants. The course began in Vernonia’s Anderson Park, and they raffled off homemade pies at the end of the race. The organizers were really welcoming and the course was beautiful, (though muddy and rainy that day.) I ran it again in 2016 and found that 10 years really makes a difference! There is…
There’s not too many places anymore you can go to find a half marathon for only $40. The 2017 Salmon Run is in its 29th year (!) and is a staple in Central Oregon. The event hosts a 5k and 10k in addition to the half and will feature beautiful paved & trail courses alongside the Deschutes. The half course will start by heading south from the Old Mill District and following the trails past the Mt. Bachelor Village…
The first time I ever stumbled upon the Row River Trail was a few years back as I was working in Cottage Grove. Like most lunch breaks when I travel, I took 45 minutes to explore as much as I could in the city. I lucked into quickly locating the Row River Trailhead and started heading east. The first part of my journey took me through some back areas between residential and commercial buildings –…
Run Oregon loves running, only second to helping a great cause, especially fostering a passion for running. The folks in Adrian, Oregon need your help improving the track facilities of the Adrian School District. The district does not have a track for the students to practice on, but rather an oblong blob that is neither standard shape or length and is made of dirt. While a new, rubberized track would be ideal, financially that is beyond…
I can’t believe we are under two months from the 11th annual Eugene Marathon. This has become a staple in Oregon’s repertoire of fantastic races and one that I truly believe everyone should run at least once. I participated in the marathon last year, after vowing a few years ago that one 26.2 race was good enough for me. My experience last year actually gave me hope, desire, and motivation to compete in more. Here…
I’ve been semi-retired from half marathons for the past couple years, but a convergence of factors convinced me to sign up for the Lincoln City Half Marathon: The race’s excellent reputation, a chance to spend the weekend at Salishan, and some recent solid longer training runs. I figured it wouldn’t be the fastest half I’d ever run, but if I paced it intelligently I could survive, and the course would be pleasant. My friend and…
