I love Freedomthon. It's incredibly fun and a perfect way to start your 4th of July--and it's also where I got my current 5k PR, because the course is flat and fast. :) I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to attend this year's event (and get another amazing and hefty Uberthons medal!) but my BFF Cari ran it and had a great time. Scroll own for more photos and her race recap!

Get ready for the first of the three events in the 2015 Uberthons Oregon Half Marathon series--the Oregon Spring Half Marathon, at St. Josef's Winery! Last year's event was very hilly, but the route has been revised this year to be much flatter, and the 5k event is new for 2015. As before, there will be gigantic medals, and there will be Qdoba! I'm really looking forward to this event. There are only 90 spots remaining for the half, and 40 for the 5k, so sign up soon so you don't miss out :) 

Events:  Half and 5k, and a special 15k world-record attempt

Entry Fee:  $75.00 and $35

Start Time:  8:00 AM

Discount:  3-event discount

Parking:  Plenty

Swag:  4-inch 2015 Series medal, name engraved with lazer-black if registered by April 14 at noon.  Oregon Half apparel item

Location:  St. Josef's Winery is located 22 miles south of Portland, Oregon in the winery-rich Willamette Valley. St. Josef's award-winning vineyards host the Oregon Spring Half for the second year in a row. Set your PR at the Oregon Spring!

Post Party: For the second year in a row, Qdoba Mexican Grill caters the participants-only buffet in the St. Josef's banquet room and on the cobblestone courtyard area. Others may purchase the buffet when you register.  See Q & A's for Spring Marathon.

Previous recaps: 2014

Last year, wine was available for purchase. St. Josef's winery is really lovely, and it was fun to wander around afterwards and take pictures. For 2015, Uberthons is giving pins to the overall and age division winners, so be sure to stick around to claim yours! 

I've been so excited to do a recap of the 2015 Hop Hop Half, but have gotten delayed this week due to a major issue: my laptop is on it's last leg, you guys. :( It's made it seven years, but this week it's starting to look like it's not going to make it much longer, and I've been trying to get any photos or files off of it that I can! Anyway, ON TO THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED RECAP!

I LOVE doing the Hop Hop Half. I've participated in this race the past two years (every year since it started), and it has been SO much fun. Not only is it a well organized and very festive race, for me personally, there's something really kind of cool about having done a race every year since it started :)

Date: Saturday, April 4th, 2015

Events, times, prices: 
7:30am: 5K  $36-45
8:15am: Half Marathon  $60-85
9:15am-12pm: Post-race party, egg painting, food, music, and more!

Location: A vacant parking lot on Marine Drive; Portland OR

Number of runners: 1150

Beneficiary: Fanconi Anemia Research Fund, Inc

Swag: Big adorable medals, one Mimosa or beer (with souvenir champagne glass), Easter brunch snacks (including scrambled eggs on 1/2 croissant, cinnamon rolls, fruit, hardboiled eggs, more!), Easter Egg painting, costumes and more!

Course: The course is slightly different than last year. Both events are out-and-backs, on very flat paved paths. There were beautiful views of the Columbia River during most of the race!
CLICK HERE FOR GMAP of the HALF MARATHON course
CLICK HERE FOR GMAP of 5K COURSE

Results: Available here.

Past recaps: 2014, 2013 

Other notes: Bag check available, event entirely outdoors.

That morning was a bit cool and overcast--perfect race conditions, and we all were really hoping it would stay that way (anyone else run this race in 2014, when it started POURING and blowing sideways while a few half marathoners were sitll out there on the course?). My friends and I arrived just before 7:30 (when the 5k was about to start). Instead of being instructed to use the main parking lot, we were diverted into another parking lot a short distance away from the starting line, which I thought was odd because I was sure that the main parking lot wasn't full yet (and it wasn't). It seemed to just be the timing of when we arrived. We headed to the starting line area so we could scope everything out. It was really festive, with music going and activities all set up and ready to go. There were several vendor booths to peruse also. 

I ended up running with a group of four of my girlfriends, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to run the entire race with them because my right foot had been having issues. The half marathon consisted of a short out and back (passing by the start/finish line), before heading out on another out and back along Marine Drive (with an extra, little out and back thrown in at the turnaround). The course was flat for the most part. That morning had just a slight breeze coming off of the river. I was pretty excited to run the race pain free.

After we finished the race and took a few pictures, we headed back into the post-race area. IT WAS SO FESTIVE! The Easter Bunny was hopping around taking pictures (ok, not literally, but that guy was PRETTY POPULAR), music was playing, raffle prizes were being given away, kids and adults were coloring eggs, people were riding in the beer chariot, and brunch and beer and mimosas were being served! Getting my stuff from bag check was super quick thanks to the attentive volunteers, and then I got a free quick stretch at a vendor booth. It was so fun. We definitely hung around for a long time afterwards, enjoying the festivities (thank goodness no rain!).

I really had a great time, and I think my only suggestion is that I think it would be nice if the 5k started after the half marathon, so that they finished closer to the same time, instead of most of the 5k-ers being finished before the half marathon even started (my friend running the 5k finished in time to see me head to the starting line).  I heard quite a few other runners express the same thought. The price is a smidge higher than some other half marathons, but this event sells out, and you can see why.

Everything else was really awesome. In particular, I did appreciate that even if you registered late (after March 3), you still received an event t-shirt--it was just a regular cotton t-shirt instead of a tech t-shirt (I'm actually more excited about the cotton one anyway since I can use it on my t-shirt quilt!). I also loved the quantity and quality of volunteers--they were absolutely plentiful and fabulous! Additionally, there were lots and lots of police officers helping to stop traffic, allowing runners to safely cross. I'm very impressed with the quality of this event, and definitely planning on registering for year four, 2016 :)

I'm excited about this cool event on Saturday! I haven't decided if I'm going to do only the 5k as a shakeout for Sunday's Blooms to Brews Half Marathon, or if I should work on getting in some extra miles and do the Double Five Challenge. In either case, I'm looking forward to running in Lake Oswego, since I haven't run there much.  Although online registration is closed, you can still register the morning of the race! 

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2015

Events, times, prices:
5mi run or walk  $35
5k run or walk  $30
Double Five Challenge option: run the 5 mi, and then run the 5k for a total of 8.1mi!  $40
Shirt optional, +$15

Location: 
George Rogers Park
611 S State Street
Lake Oswego, OR 97034

Number of runners: Not known. 

Beneficiary: Hillsboro High School Athletics

Swag: Medals will be given to all Double Five Challenge participants. Awards will be given to the top three overall males and females for the 5mi, 5k, and Challenge. There will also be beverages, fruit, Dave's Killer Bread, and raffle prizes! Souvenir race shirt optional for $15.

Course: Both scenic routes are partially along the Willamette River.
5k Route  (walk or run) - flat and fast!
5 Mile Route  (walk or run)
Double Five Challenge: first run the 5mi route, and then the 5k route

Other notes: The Double Five course(s) are not closed to the public. 

Date and time: Sunday, January 4, 2015 @ 10:00am

Events and price: 
5k or 10k $42-45
1k Cub Run $15-20
Polar Bear Slide (free)

Location: Battle Ground Village; Battle Ground, WA

Beneficiary: Clark County Fire & Rescue Fire Cadet Program Booster Club

Number of runners: 500

Swag: Tech t-shirts (see below!) and goodie bags. New for 2015--all 5k and 10k finishers will receive a medal! Post-race pancake breakfast, beer by Northwest Public House & Brewery (Oakshire IPA and Bud Light). TONS of FREE photos on their Facebook page after the event.

Course: The 5k and 10k courses are both fairly flat and fast.course maps with elevation charts are available here.

I was so excited to continue working with Get Bold Events and to be invited to be a Bold Babe at the 2015 Resolution Run! The night before Ingri helped me plan my outfit, modified my tutu (by adding a ginormous sparkly bow!!) and made me an adorable headband to wear for my run. I knew some of the Bold Babes, but not all of them. They were all very welcoming as this was my first event as a Bold Babe :) We arrived at the event at 8:00 am to help with registration and packet pickup. Despite the cold and rainy weather, lots of people showed up the morning of the race to register! Registration swag included a goodie bag, and a nice heather blue tech t-shirt.

Shortly before the race was scheduled to start, I left my nice warm snow jacket with the Bold Babes and headed to the starting line with my friend Krista, who I had promised I would run with (she said I didn't have to, but I thought it would be nice to have some company since I wasn't shooting for a PR). The 10k course is a flat out and back through Battle Ground. The streets are not closed to traffic, but there is enough room on the shoulder and sidewalk for the volume of runners to safely run the course. There were also lots of fantastic volunteers on the course, including several Clark County Fire Cadets, who also helped set up and tear down before and after the event. 

A mile from the finish, Krista mentioned that the last mile was usually the hardest for her. Although I wanted to be encouraging, I was a little too tired to carry on a conversation and wanted to try to pick up the pace a little. Krista didn't seem to notice or mind, so I kept at it. As we neared the finish line, I made a goal of trying to catch the person in front of me, and hoped to motivate Krista to finish strong! I was so proud of her when she said that she had PR'd by 5 1/2 minutes!!!

After we crossed the finish line, we received our medals, hung around, met up with other friends, listened to the DJ, and watched the crazies who braved the Polar Bear Slide, including Race Director Elba and my friend Kevin! I had considered it, but chickened out. But they did have towels for those who did the slide, and the hot tub was reserved for Polar Bear Sliders only, who also received a special prize (such as a cute mug). 

When I was getting my jacket, Brighid, who won a race entry on the blog, came to say hi! She had pushed her little kiddo in a stroller for the 10k, and she did great. It was really nice of her to say hi--FYI I love meeting my readers! :) Once I was bundled back up, I grabbed some nice warm pancakes with maple syrup and then headed into the beer garden! In addition to pancakes, they had gummy bears, peanut butter and bread, Gatorade, water and root beer. Kind Bars was there handing out bars as well. We hung out for awhile, as there were several friends who received overall and age group medals (congrats!!!). A bunch of Chuggers headed to Northwood afterwards for lunch. Battle Ground Village is a great venue because it is so convenient to go straight from the finish line to an actual restaurant (you don't even have to move your car)!

Overall, it was a well-organized race with a big emphasis on HAVING FUN--and an even bigger emphasis on helping the local community. I love that the 2015 Resolution Run raised over $1000 for the Clark County Fire Cadet program! 

Date and time: Saturday January 3, 2015 @ 8:30am

Events and price: 
1 Mile  $14
5k  $22
1 Mile & 5k  $25
Kidathon  FREE ($10 for a kids medal)

Location: Cook Park; Tigard, OR

Beneficiary: N/A

Swag: Every finisher received a nice, hefty Uberthons medal. There was hot cocoa and bananas post-race. Pins for age division winners; necklaces for those running their first 5k with Uberthons (even if they've run any other race prior--your first Uberthons 5k is special!)

Course: The 5k contains both dirt and paved trails. It's nice--pretty, well-marked, and not hilly. 

Number of runners: 400

Past recaps: 2014 New Yearathon

I'm so excited to have earned my first medal of 2015 :) Although I'm bummed that my fitness level has plummeted over the past few months, there was a lot to enjoy at the second annual New Yearathon. I LOVE Uberthons events, and race organizers Darwin and Alan are two of the nicest guys ever. Uberthons events are very welcoming to all abilities--it's low key enough for new runners, and well organized enough for more experienced runners. 

The day of the race, I was tired and having an off morning (Ardara called me a cranky panda), but there's nothing like a good race with good people to turn that frown upside down :) Five other Run Oregon bloggers were running at the event, and sooooo many of my running friends! It was great. The event was capped at 400 runners and walkers, which was just right for the venue. There was plenty of nearby parking, there were two heat lamps under the park shelter, and plenty of bathrooms.

The one milers were split into two tiers: the sub 7:00 runners started first, and the over 7:00 runners after all of the one milers in the first group finished. It was really fun to watch Run Oregon super speedsters Brian, Joe and Tung finish! The one mile course was a mix of paved course and dirt/barkdust trail. It's a fun course but it's a little challenging--don't expect an easy 1mi PR! 

After the one miler, I gave a quick speech about Eating Right and Exercising right--I was super nervous about talking in front of the group, but fortunately it went alright! I also got to announce the two raffle prize winners, who each received a voucher for new shoes at Road Runner Sports (up to  $120). I feel like I had barely caught my breath and then it was time to run the 5k! Because there are a lot of newer runners and walkers at Uberthons events, if you're a faster runner or looking to PR, you'll want to start near the front and be prepared to weave! And the 5k course also had a mix of paved trail and a bit of dirt trail, as well one short steep climb. It was very, very well marked with plenty of volunteers on the course. After running the 1mi pretty hard, the 5k felt a lot more difficult for me than usual! (Oh yeah, and being super out of shape....) I was very relieved to cross the finish line, hear my name announced, and receive my ginormous medal ;) 

I loved that official times were available immediately after the race on two kiosks. Usually age group awards are announced fairly quickly, but this time the awards were somewhat delayed. Although I was a little bummed not earning an age division pin for either race, I was super happy for all of my friends who did!

As always, this was a fantastic event, and I'm so excited for all of the Uberthons events coming up for 2015!

Date and time: Sunday, November 30, 2014

Events and price:
12k $50 (if under 18 years old, $18)
5k $45 (if under 18 years old, $18)
Kids Kandy Kane Dash $8-12
Online registration closes 11/24/14 at 6:00pm!

Location: Esther Short Park; Downtown Vancouver, WA

Beneficiary: Race to Remember and The Boys and Girls Club in Vancouver. Additionally, Energy Events will match every nonperishable food item you bring on race day and donate it to the Clark Country Food Bank.

Swag: Long Sleeve T-shirt, Hot Buttered Rum, Hot Chocolate, goody bag

Course: Both the 12k and 5k are flat and fast.

I'm just going to come right out and say it: Hot Buttered Run is my favorite winter race. There are lots of other good winter races that are also totally worth running, but I'm in love with HBR. Why? Where else can you get an awesome, flat and fun race where the race organization makes the hot buttered rum mix FROM SCRATCH?! That's a lot of sugar and butter, my friends. Delicious, scrumptious, boozy, buttery, sugary liquid goodness. And the race is at beautiful Esther Short Park, which is a fantastic venue (I love great races in Vancouver!). 

And I also love the fact that the first year I ran it with my best friend Cari, someone ran in a Gingy costume (the gingerbread man from Shrek) and we look forward to getting a picture with Gingy EVERY YEAR. There are tons of other great photo ops too! And tons of post-race snacks (I really hope they have those Biscoff cookies...). And it's one of the few races that has a 12k option, which I find kind of fun to do.

Lastly, bag check at Energy Events races is always super quick and efficient, which REALLY matters for winter races! It sucks standing in the cold waiting to check in/out your bag. But Kathy and the volunteers do an amazing job of getting you taken care of, and that's pretty AWESOME (and uncommon!).

Run Oregon bloggers Amber and Robin wrote race previews also--be sure to check them out :)

 Hot Buttered Run is just a really great, feel-good event for the entire family. I hope to see you out there!!!

Date and time: Saturday, October 25th, 2014 @ 9:00am
Events and price: 5k and 10k run/walk; 15k run; 15k relay; 1k and 0.5k kids dashes
Location: Meriweather Golf Course; Hillsboro, OR
Number of runners: ~550
Beneficiary: N/A
Swag: AWESOME finisher's medal--4" across and has blinking red eyes!; nacho bar
Course: Mixed paved golf cart paths and across the grass--see Mariah Jeffrey's thorough report here 

Uberthons' Fourth Annual Halloweenathon was such a fun event. I was so excited to see so many friends come out to run in their very first Uberthons event. And I was also excited to have a few friends earn their Uberthons jackets (yay Cari and Em)! And, of course, it's always good to run into fellow Run Oregon bloggers (Tung, Jessica, Annette, and Brian).

Though it looked like it might rain, the cloudy and cool weather weather held steady for race (which I appreciated, because I didn't want a soggy tutu). When we arrived at the Meriweather Golf Course, therewas plenty of parking, and close enough that we didn't mind not having bag check. I was curious to see how this venue would differ from last year's venue (the Reserve Golf Course & Vineyards), especially since it was a somewhat last minute change since the Reserve had double-booked that day. In spite of that, I thought that the Meriweather Golf Course was a nice location, and that Uberthons put on a nice event in spite of the change. There were a good number of portapotties available very close to the start/finish, and also bathrooms inside as well. We headed inside to pick up our bibs, which the volunteers were able to do quickly and there wasn't much of a line. A bit before the race, we headed outside to take pictures and get into the starting corral. The grass was soft and muddy because of the recent rain--and this year's course was partially paved golf cart trails and partially through the grass on the course (which Mariah Jeffrey did a fantastic job previewing here). Although several runners said that they had been unaware of what the course conditions were going to be, I felt that Uberthons did a good job informing participants via Facebook, their website, and via email. The event featured a 5k loop, run once for the 5k, run twice for the 10k, and run three times for the 15k.

At the starting line, participants were released in small waves of roughly 20 people. The course was fairly wide, which I really liked, since it made passing/getting passed easier, but parts of the course were slightly ambiguous since it wasn't marked on both sides, just with a single line of flags for the most part. To ensure I wasn't cutting the course, I ran as close to the flags as I could. There were also plenty of volunteers and aid stations. I really liked that there weren't any switchbacks to clog up the flow of runners. The grass was softer and muddier than expected--I'm sure by the time the 15k-ers were coming around on their third lap, it was likely pretty squishy--but I liked the change of terrain! It was more difficult than a race entirely on paved trails or roads, but it was fun doing a more cross-country style event, even though it slowed me down a little.

Each participant's name was announced as they crossed the finish line. They were presented with their finisher's medal, water, and optional space blanket. Back inside, there was a photo booth selling pictures for just $1, as well as the nacho bar, live music, and kiosks for looking up and printing your official race results. There wasn't quite enough space for all of the participants to fit in one room, so my group headed into an adjacent room to eat our nachos. Unfortunately, I missed hearing my name announced as winner of my age division. A few people mentioned that it was a bummer that nachos weren't included for the kids, however, the kids races were FREE, with the option of purchasing a kids medal or "grown up medal" for only $10-12.

All in all, it was a fabulously fun race, that balances that small-race feel and price point, with the organization and attention to detail of a larger race. I really enjoyed myself, and am excited to see that the event will be held at Meriweather Golf Course again in 2015! 

Fellow Run Oregon blogger Brian Bernier also wrote a recap, and so did Jessica Mumme--be sure to check out their blog posts too.

Lastly, Uberthons' next and last event of 2014 will be the Turkeython on Thanksgiving morning at Bridgeport Village. Stay tuned for a preview and ... a GIVEAWAY! :D

Date and time: Saturday October 25th, 2014
Events and price: 5k beer run; Free
Location: Brickhouse Bar; Vancouver, WA
Number of runners: Capped at 150
Beneficiary: N/A

We really lucked out with the weather, since it was cool and overcast! I was a little worried about rain, but fortunately it held off and I didn't have to worry about running in a waterlogged costume. Although it's not an official timed race, the Ghost Run is a fun running event, with the added challenge of a beer stop! I first ran the Ghost Run last year--although I didn't know anyone there, I had a blast and made some new friends (runners are so friendly). The logistics of year's event was a little different compared to last year's, but similar: at last year's run we started at the old Spark's building downtown, ran to the first stop where we had a free beer taster sample, ran to the Grant House and had another free beer taster sample, and then finished back downtown with a free full sized beer. 

This year, we started at Brickhouse, there was only one stop (Grant House) with one free beer taster sample, and no free beer at the finish (back to Brickhouse). Given that it's a free event, it's understandable. However, Brickhouse did offer three food specials, and you could also order off the menu. I ordered some mac and cheese off the menu, and a beer at the bar (Brickhouse has about 20 beers on tap--good craft beers, too). Ghost Runners Brewing's prizes for the costume contest were great--growler with fill, two pairs of running shoes, and a book about running. The two guys in the red Solo cup costumes were really cool and clever, but they said that they were pretty sucky for running in. 

It was a fun event and a good excuse to run through the streets of Vancouver in costume! Thank you to Ghost Runners Brewing for organizing this fun local event :)

Race name: Bend Beer Chase
Date and time: Saturday October 11th, 2014
Events and price: One day 70 mile relay, split between 1-6 runners; 6keg brewery run
Location: Bend, OR
Beneficiary: Numerous local non-profits, school groups, and community organizations

I was fortunate to be offered the opportunity to run the Bend Beer Chase relay for the first time this year by Kerry (co-race director of Gorgeous Series) and Wendi (founder of Solemates). Although it was the week after I ran the Portland Marathon and the day before Girlfriends Run for a Cure, and I knew it was a lot to put my body through, I couldn't turn down this cool opportunity. 

So Friday afternoon Steve, Wendi and I headed down to Bend to meet up with Kerry and Jazi. The traffic was awful since there was an accident, and we didn't arrive in Bend until 10 pm, and pretty much went straight to bed. We woke up early the next morning to the start line at Worthy Brewing. There was cornhole and beer tastings, even though it wasn't quite 7am. That's a little early for beer normally, but what the heck, it's the BEND BEER CHASE! By the way, our team of 5 only had one beer-drinker on the team--me. But even if you're not a beer drinker, the Bend Beer Chase is still a really fun experience.

Jazi, Kerry and I each ran two legs, while Wendi and Steve each picked up 3. I ended up running a little under 12 miles split between two legs, both labeled "moderate". There weren't breweries at every exchange, but at several of them, and even a distillery at one. I also bumped into the Run Oregon team and leapfrogged with them for most of the rest of the race.

Although some of the legs were really hilly or difficult (my second leg was almost entirely gravel road), the course was beautiful. I haven't spent much time in Bend, and doing the Bend Beer Chase was a great opportunity to really see how gorgeous it is. I had a great time getting to know my teammates and laughing with them. We also really lucked out with the weather--it was perfectly cool and mostly clear skies, with just a little bit of rain. The actual relay itself was fairly well put together, with enough volunteers, porta potties, and organized exchanges, although the finish line area could have been a bit more clear, as we barely arrived in time to park and get to the finish line to meet our runner and run in together to the "finish". But it wasn't actually the finish line... you had to complete the 6keg (or drive to the actual finish line at the end of the 6keg) to receive your medal.

The details and communication regarding the 6keg were somewhat lacking, and many teams were not on schedule to finish in time. It wasn't particularly clear what the 6keg was or what was (it was basically a bar crawl on foot). We only made it to the first stop in time (Silver Moon Brewing), made it to 10 Barrel after the sampling had ended/run out, and then had to rush to the final stop at Crux Fermentation project, which didn't have free samples. 

The swag was alright. The shirts were a nice material with a simple but nice design. However, the women's shirts were TINY (almost like juniors sizing). The medals were rubberized bottle openers on paracord--useful, and it fit the theme, but an etched bottle opener would have been really cool.

The Bend Beer Chase was a really cool one-day relay. With a few minor adjustments, it would be excellent.