One of the great traditions of middle school and high school cross-country is the early-season destination race with a special gimmick. The unique feature could be a handicapped start with staggered waves based on predicted finish times, or it could be a race with a choice of two or three different courses of varying difficulty. The travel and the special character of these events provide a great bonding experience for teams just getting to know…
There are a handful of Oregon races that every runner should run at least once, and the Prefontaine Memorial Run 10K in Coos Bay is near the top of the list! Named for legendary Oregon runner Steve Prefontaine, and taking place in his hometown on one of his favorite training routes, this race is a true classic! Besides the historical aura surrounding the event, the race itself is very well organized and a high-quality event…
If you haven’t been out to run at Cape Lookout State Park near Tillamook, you are missing out. Last Spring I tackled the North Trail and the Cape Trail – out-and-backs on both. I got some amazing pictures, sank shin deep in a lot of mud, marveled at some great views, and ultimately had a memorable experience. For the 5th year, Race to the Cape is taking to these trails for a small (100 participants max, but historically…
One of Oregon’s classic early season cross-country meets is coming up on Saturday, September 23rd. The 28th Annual Three Course Challenge gives runners the opportunity to run easy, moderate, or difficult courses, with the latter featuring a notorious mud pit. Traditionally a bonding experience and fun road trip for high school and middle school cross country teams, the event now welcomes the general public too, with an open race at 12:35p. “If you ran the…
Do you want to run along the ocean AND through trees on a full marathon, half marathon or rare 5 mile course? Then you need to check out the Twisted Pine Run in September in Newport, Oregon! This race had just 30 racers in its inaugural race last year, but so far this year, they are boasting much larger numbers as word has spread about this cool race. This year they have also added a…
If you’ve lived in Oregon for awhile, or even if you’re from out of state and have just been interested in visiting the Oregon coast, chances are you’ve heard of Salishan, one of the most well-known accommodations at the beach. Located just south of Lincoln City, Salishan is a complete destination resort nestled in the hills just off Hwy. 101. In addition to the luxurious rooms spread among small stand-alone buildings in the woods, Salishan…
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…
I have travelled to Coos Bay so much for work in the last 18 months, that I feel like I have the whole city covered. I have sampled local faire (this small community has some great restaurants), drank local beer, and ran all over the city. But one thing I have yet to do is compete in an actual race. While Coos Bay actually has some great local races (the most popular likely being the…
Run Oregon is fielding a 2-person team at this upcoming February’s 2015 Three Capes Relay on the beautiful Northern Oregon coast. The course consists of five legs, ranging from around 4.11 to 7.02 miles in length, and includes 2,400 feet of elevation gain. Runners will head through or right along 6 State Parks, multiple county parks, and 2 National Wildlife Refuges. And the views – oh yes, the views – will be stunning. Joe did a general preview last month and it is only…
Y’all know I love me some coastal racing. I was stuck in the middle of the country for most of my life, and now I crave the powerful sounds of the ocean and the scenic overlooks to push through hard trail runs. If you’re like me, queue the old legs up for a rugged 10-miler in Cape Lookout State Park (about halfway between Pacific City and Tillamook) at the 2015 Race to the Cape on March 8, 2015.
