I’ve never met anyone who did an Oregon Brewery Running Series 5k who didn’t have a great time. The positive atmosphere is contagious, and everyone gets to celebrate their “why” for running, whatever that might be for them. It had been awhile since I’d been able to clear my schedule for one of these Fun Run 5ks, (they start at 10:00AM on Saturdays and I’m often done with my run by then) but on Saturday…
It’s time for the 22nd Annual Helvetia Half Marathon/10k/5k!! Last year, Run With Paula Events made a triumphant return after COVID, and we’re back for another successful run in 2022! The Helvetia Half Marathon was voted the BEST HALF MARATHON in the Northwest, and it’s easy to see why! The course tells runners to “Leave the City Behind,” and does just that. The challenging course starts at Hillsboro Stadium, meanders out onto rolling hills, through…
Whenever anyone asks me for race recommendations, I always, without fail, recommend any of the Run With Paula Events. I think I’ve run most of Paula Harkin’s races over the years, and they have always gone off flawlessly, at least from a runner’s standpoint, and even the year she had to move the Bridge of the Goddess quite suddenly due to wildfires, she pulled it off seamlessly. It seems fitting to experience a real in-person…
Held in Hillsboro at Liberty High School, with a course that explores the rural areas to the north, the Heartbreaker races are scheduled to occur on Sunday, February 16th this year. I have attended this event several times over the years and find it to be very well run. The kicker is, the courses are not flat, with rolling hills on all of them. The finish on the track almost makes up for it, but…
Thanksgiving is coming up — what are you going to do in the morning? Football doesn’t start until 10 a.m. (if you’re into watching), and food prep can wait until late morning/early afternoon. You might as well do a turkey trot; hey, more guilt-free feasting later in the day, right? Uberthons has been staging the Turkeython every year starting in 2011, and in recent years, there have been multiple locations. It’s settled into three now:…
There are so many 4th of July races in beautiful Oregon! If you are anywhere near Hillsboro on the 4th, check out the C.A.T. Walk and Fun Run. This year marks their 19th year of fighting to eliminate barriers to cancer care! They are fighting because everyone deserves access to high quality and compassionate care! Last year (2018) alone, this race raised over $106,00 to acquire a new state-of-the art mobile mammography van for OHSU…
When I first started doing races, I did the big ones because I didn’t know any better. The smaller races never claimed the spotlight and I honestly didn’t think about searching for them. As I got older and started doing more and more races, I found myself seeking out the smaller ones, as they had a more intimate feel to them and there were a lot smaller crowds to battle at the starting line. But…
The Hippie Chick Half/Quarter was my very first half marathon back in 2010 and holds a special place in my memories. Since then, the race has been moved to a different location, been in the hands of a few race directing companies, and has added a 5k and kids run as well. It’s such a fun event, and one of the many things race director Paula Harkin of Run with Paula Events knows how to…
Honestly, when it comes to racing around here in February, it’s a mixed bag. We can see temperatures from the teens to near 50 and any form of precipitation. The only thing we can do as runners is pack the right gear and hope for the best. Surprisingly this year on February 17th we woke to clouds (of course) but it was a dry and relatively warm morning in Hillsboro, with temps a bit over…
It had been several years since I last ran the Heart Breaker Half (or 10k or 5k). In fact, it had been so long that when I last ran it, the race was still held in downtown Portland. So I figured it was high time I ran it again, especially since Liberty High School is such a good location for a race (I have run the Falcon 15K Relay a couple times there). The high…
