A few summers ago I was running an incredibly remote trail race on another continent and a man in my starting group was wearing a Haulin’ Aspen race tee. “I’ve always wanted to do that one!” I said to my fellow Oregonian and we ran and chatted together for a few, well, kilometers, and then parted ways. I don’t remember his name, just that he lives in Corvallis and recommended the race. Fast forward through…
Over in Central Oregon, where the mountains are always out and the trails go on for days, Haulin Aspen has been one of biggest trail races for years. Trail Runner Magazine even mentioned it as a premier event in the #1 top trail town, making it a massive draw for runners from all over the west. What makes this race so good is the fact that is 100% single track, which is rare for a…
August 8th, 2020 will go down as one of the most memorable days in quite a while – and I have the Haulin’ Aspen to thank for it. After 154 days of no racing – the longest such stretch since 2011, thanks COVID – I made the trek over to Central Oregon for the 16th annual event. Yes, that’s right, an actual, real life, in the flesh race. As you know, there aren’t a ton…
I can’t believe I am saying this, but we are officially previewing a race for the first time in…a while. Haulin Aspen, put on by Lay It Out Events, is back for its 16th year this August 8th and has excitedly has this to say: With Oregon now in Phase 2 of reopening, we are so excited that the 2020 Haulin’ Aspen is definitely happening on August 8! We are still taking COVID-19 measures seriously…
There are several “must-do” races in Central Oregon, especially trail races, and Haulin Aspen is definitely one of them. Featuring the only full trail marathon in Central Oregon, Haulin Aspen also offers a half marathon and a half-as (quarter marathon). All 3 distances are in the trail system that runs out of Wanoga Sno-Park, and all 3 have some good elevation to make things interesting. The half-as keeps it real with about 370 feet of…
I’ve recently come to the conclusion that trail races are a lot more enjoyable than road races. Both have their pluses and minuses and trails end up taking a lot longer to reach the final destination, but the journey cannot be beat. I have added the Haulin’ Aspen Trail Marathon, which is Central Oregon’s ONLY full marathon that’s run on trails, to my bucket list of races to run someday. Trail Runner Magazine voted Bend…
Welcome to the latest in the Races on our Radar series, where we report on cool and/or low-cost races, group runs, price and registration deadlines, and other things we think you should know about it. We would like to you hear from you, too. If you’re in the know on a race that you think others need to check out, be sure to let us know with our contact form. Tell us what you love…
This Thursday (June 1) is First Thursday! That’s the Urban Adventure (Scavenger Hunt) Run hosted on the first Thursday of each month by Fleet Feet Sports PDX at their NW Portland location, 2258 NW Raleigh St. This is a free group run, starting promptly and 6 and giving you an hour to get to as many checkpoints as you can/want to. The more you go to, the more raffle tickets you get! As for races,…
Haulin’ Aspen is an annual trail run now in its 12th year that takes place in the hills just west of Bend, with three choices of race distance: marathon, half marathon, or half-as (6.5 miles). It sounds like a challenging but beautiful route, starting and finishing at an elevation of 5500 feet and “weav[ing] through the amazing forests and buttes down toward Wangoa Butte and Kiwa Springs.” For more on the course description, click here.…
Being a resident of the Willamette Valley, most of my running is close to sea level, on pavement, and in the city or surrounding fields and rain forests. So when I realized that the 2015 Haulin Aspen trail run coincided with an already planned camping trip to Bend, I jumped at the opportunity to try a different scenery, running surface, and altitude.
