What is the best gift for a runner during the holidays? Blue skies and cool temperatures for the Holiday Half of course. The Holiday Half is one of my December traditions. The weather varies (A LOT) but the out and back course always has a wicked hill during the starting mile and a wonderful downhill for the last mile. The 10-mile and 10K courses use the same out and back (with earlier turnarounds) while the…
I run all year round, and the winter is an especially hard time to find motivation. In Oregon, there aren’t a whole lot of races in the area to make it easier when it gets dark and cold, so I’m always incredibly grateful for the PRC Winter 5k Series, which has become a yearly tradition for me. If you’ve never heard of this race series brought to you by Run With Paula Events, rejoice and…
Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to gather with friends and family…and go for a run together. What? Isn’t that how all families celebrate this holiday? Well they should. And here are two excellent Oregon Turkey Trots to choose from. HTC Turkey Trot Thanks to the folks who put on Hood to Coast, runners and walkers have the chance to be the first to see the lights at the Portland International Raceway. The HTC Turkey Trot…
Over the past years, “turkey trots” have become increasingly popular, encouraging people to get outside and participate in a race/run/walk on Thanksgiving morning before heading to their respective Thanksgiving celebrations. Most of the races offer at least a 5k distance, several also have another longer or shorter distance as an option. Many of the races have a food bank as a beneficiary or collect canned goods at the race. While Run Oregon will be previewing…
For years, during the Portland Marathon, I saw these red lizards on sticks, bobbing up and down among the runners. It took a few years before I learned that on the other end of that stick was a pacer who I could follow to get me to the finish line right on time. And then I learned that those runners were part of this great local running club that helps at races and even puts…
Along with Forest Park and the many waterfront trails, Portland has an almost embarrassing assortment of choice running terrain, and no list of those would be complete without mention of the trails looping around the east side’s urban trail jewel, Mt. Tabor. Check it off your Portland running bucket list with the Mt. Tabor Park Tar n Trail 5k/10k. With Mt. Tabor Park a hill training gold mine, expect the Tar n Trail to not…
One of my first memories of computers was playing “The Oregon Trail” in elementary school on those ancient black screens in the computer room. (Side note: thanks to the Internet Archive, you can still play it!) Check out our recap of the inaugural event! But whether or not computer games are your thing, there’s an alternative that’s just as fun, if not more. Join Oregon City on Sunday, October 1st for the 8th 2023 Oregon…
There is simply nothing like a marathon. It is a challenge that requires months of physical, mental, and emotional preparation. It is an experience that will be more than the participant can predict. And it will be totally worth that medal at the finish line. I promise. I’ve completed the Portland Marathon multiple times. Sometimes it is amazing. Sometimes it is all kinds of hard. And sometimes (aka 2022) it is when the sidewalk feels…
This last Spring, I fell in love with a new running group. I’ve run with LOTS of people over the years, and with lots of groups too. I’ve actually made it a personal mission to bring runners together with other runners because it pretty much saved my life in a dark time when I found my running community. But finding the Foot Traffic Women’s Academy was another ray of sunshine in my life and something…
The MLK Dream Run is back in the North Portland streets this upcoming September 16th and 17th. The event features a 15k, 10k, and 5k. I ran this event in 2014 and really appreciated a lot about it. The course was super unique and took on some historical North Portland neighborhoods and the atmosphere and pre/post-race festivities were on point. Runners will get to experience cool neighborhoods like Mississippi and the artistic Alberta Arts neighborhood,…
