September 23, 2009

High Desert Dash | Saturday, October 3 - Bend to Sunriver

Get ready for the best relay race in Central Oregon! The 2nd annual High Desert Dash is back and ready to showcase the beauty of Central Oregon. The course is thirty-three miles long with ten legs, each ranging between 2.3 and 4.7 miles. There are five runners per team (co-ed is fine) and each runner will have to run two legs. The order of the legs is up to you - runners can even run back-to-back legs. The race starts at the Athletic Club of Bend and finishes at the beautiful Sunriver Resort in Sunriver. There, a finish line party of live music, raffle drawings, and yummy food awaits you.

The High Desert Dash is also a benefit for the Family Access Network (FAN). FAN is committed to building a healthy community by alleviating the suffering of children in need. FAN Advocates link children and families to critical social supports with the goal of keeping children in school. Working with one dedicated advocate, a student or parent is referred for dental work, job opportunities, clothing, rental assistance, childcare support, health insurance or whatever the need.

Posted by orbike at 6:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 8, 2009

Oktoberfest Road Race | Saturday, Sept. 19th - Mt. Angel, OR

What would September be without acknowledging Oktoberfest? On Saturday, September 19th, Mt. Angel will play host to the Oktoberfest Road Race. Starting time is 9am and runners have a 5K or 10K option, depending on how far you feel like running. The race begins at Humpert Park on Alder Street. Be forewarned, there is VERY limited parking near the park. The organizers request participants to please park at Kennedy High School - a mere one block South of the starting line. Think of it as part of your warm up.

From the start, runners head out into the beautiful countryside surrounding the village. They will pass by scenic hop farms and nurseries en route to the finish. 10k participants have the added bonus of running around the base of the Mt. Angel Abbey before returning to the finish on city streets. The entire course is paved with some minor hills. The top three finishers (male & female) in each race will receive a custom designed Oktoberfest Road Race trophy and the top finisher in each event will receive an additional prize.

Course maps, registration fees and other information can be found at Mt. Angel Oktoberfest's website. Enjoy the run!

Posted by orbike at 6:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 1, 2009

Run Portland Run | Sunday, September 6 - Portland

Hard to believe it's September, but that only means there are plenty of races and fun runs in store for fall over the next few months. One notable race, Run Portland Run, takes place this Sunday. This community-oriented run includes a Half Marathon, 5K and 10K and starts in beautiful downtown Portland.

Run Portland Run will take you over one downtown bridge, through some of the most scenic areas along the east side of the Willamette River and finish right in downtown on Naito Pkwy. Prize money will be awarded to professional athletes, as well as, incredible prizes to each age group, team, and individual winners. All half-marathon competitors will receive a custom finisher's medal at the end of the race for their achievement.

Run Portland Run is part of a national running series, Run America Run. These events first look to focus on the community and build around alignments with non-profits in each of the regions, as well as create an environment for all runners, walkers, and people that enjoy or want to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Run Portland Run will benefit the Oregon Food Bank and the Oregon Sports Authority Foundation.

If you're an injured runner, you can always cheer on those participating by becoming a volunteer as they are needed to assist with several aspects of the event, including pre-registration, the start and finish line and water stations along the course.

Benefits of Volunteering

For more information on Run Portland Run, click here for the USA Productions Events website.

Posted by orbike at 12:38 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack