As always, the 2015 Hippie Chick races were tons of fun. The Hood to Coast Race Series has done an amazing job of keeping the focus of this race on really celebrating women, and I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to run it with some really cool chicks!
Wendy, Jill, me and Krista at the 2015 Hippie Chick Half Marathon
Hippie Chick Quarter Marathon, Half Marathon & Kids' Race
Beautiful weather on scenic country roads Date: Saturday, May 9, 2015
Events, times, prices:
7:30am Kids' Race FREE
8:00am Quarter & Half Marathon $99-$109
Location: Hillsboro Ballpark; Hillsboro, OR
Number of runners: ~2200 total (approximately the same as 2014).
Beneficiary: Raphael House
Swag: Tech t-shirt (design and color were chosen by votes on social media), finisher's necklace, pancake breakfast, fruit (bananas and oranges), free mimosa, chocolate, Franz baked goods. Costume contest and age division awards.
Course: Hippie Chick Quarter & Half Marathon Course Map
Past recaps: 2014
Results:
Half Marathon
Quarter Marathon
Kids Dash
Other notes: Pacers were provided by Team Athena.
Events, times, prices:
7:30am Kids' Race FREE
8:00am Quarter & Half Marathon $99-$109
Location: Hillsboro Ballpark; Hillsboro, OR
Number of runners: ~2200 total (approximately the same as 2014).
Beneficiary: Raphael House
Swag: Tech t-shirt (design and color were chosen by votes on social media), finisher's necklace, pancake breakfast, fruit (bananas and oranges), free mimosa, chocolate, Franz baked goods. Costume contest and age division awards.
Course: Hippie Chick Quarter & Half Marathon Course Map
Past recaps: 2014
Results:
Half Marathon
Quarter Marathon
Kids Dash
Other notes: Pacers were provided by Team Athena.
This women-only race is incredibly popular, and it's easy to see why: it's a blast! The Hood to Coast Race Series does a nice job of providing what lots of nice goodies, awesome volunteers, plenty of aid stations, and lots of cool vendor booths. And the focus is on spoiling the ladies--can't go wrong with that theme! ;) In my opinion, they do a nice job managing the number of runners and walkers--the only thing to keep in mind is that you'll want to arrive early to get the best parking, and have enough time to use the Portapotties before the race starts (there are lots of them, and indoor bathrooms also, spread throughout, but the lines can get long), and go to bag check.
I assembled my "modern Hippie Chick" outfit the night before: flower headband, "I run like a girl" tank, rainbow tutu, heart sunglasses, and clip on flowers for my shoes. I didn't have a particular time goal in mind for the race. It was a little warmer out than I had hoped (it was already 60 degrees at 7:00am), and I had a few other runs planned for that weekend so I didn't want to push it crazy hard. The course is gorgeous--really scenic and tranquil. Most of it is in direct sun, but there's only a slight elevation change, so I would say that overall it's a nice easy/moderate course. Though Hippie Chick Half and Helvetia Half are at the same venue, the course for Hippie Chick is much flatter. I stuck with two of my friends, and we ran/walked parts of it. There were lots of volunteers who did a fantastic job on the course, and appreciated the Clif Shot aid station with your choice of flavors (I needed it!). The finish line was great: I love that the Jumbotron shows runners approaching the finish line, and the announcer calls out each finisher's name. There were tons of volunteers at the finish, ready with our finishers' necklaces and water.
After the race, there was soooo much to do! I grabbed my bag out of bag check (which only took a few seconds). Being me, I easily got sidetracked by the various vendor tents (I love Run Molly Run's adorable charms, and the great t-shirts at Another Mother Runner, and of course I had to say hi to Brian Davis at Energy Events!). Once I finally made my way to the pancakes and fruit, I was HUNGRY. The volunteers were doing a great job of keeping all of the food ready for runners, so there wasn't even a line. Each finisher could get a beer or a mimosa, and the lines were short for that too! There was live music, and lots of places to sit and hang out (in the bleachers, or on the field)--the stadium is a really great venue. Hippie Chick Quarter & Half Marathon is a great race, and it's an especially good EVENT. I am a little bummed that I missed the costume contest--I thought that only teams in costume needed to contact HTC about participating, but I think that individuals were probably supposed to as well. Since there wasn't a It can be a little spendy, so sign up early and/or be sure to keep an eye out for one of the many discount codes that HTC Race Series puts out--it's a race you don't want to miss! :)
I assembled my "modern Hippie Chick" outfit the night before: flower headband, "I run like a girl" tank, rainbow tutu, heart sunglasses, and clip on flowers for my shoes. I didn't have a particular time goal in mind for the race. It was a little warmer out than I had hoped (it was already 60 degrees at 7:00am), and I had a few other runs planned for that weekend so I didn't want to push it crazy hard. The course is gorgeous--really scenic and tranquil. Most of it is in direct sun, but there's only a slight elevation change, so I would say that overall it's a nice easy/moderate course. Though Hippie Chick Half and Helvetia Half are at the same venue, the course for Hippie Chick is much flatter. I stuck with two of my friends, and we ran/walked parts of it. There were lots of volunteers who did a fantastic job on the course, and appreciated the Clif Shot aid station with your choice of flavors (I needed it!). The finish line was great: I love that the Jumbotron shows runners approaching the finish line, and the announcer calls out each finisher's name. There were tons of volunteers at the finish, ready with our finishers' necklaces and water.
After the race, there was soooo much to do! I grabbed my bag out of bag check (which only took a few seconds). Being me, I easily got sidetracked by the various vendor tents (I love Run Molly Run's adorable charms, and the great t-shirts at Another Mother Runner, and of course I had to say hi to Brian Davis at Energy Events!). Once I finally made my way to the pancakes and fruit, I was HUNGRY. The volunteers were doing a great job of keeping all of the food ready for runners, so there wasn't even a line. Each finisher could get a beer or a mimosa, and the lines were short for that too! There was live music, and lots of places to sit and hang out (in the bleachers, or on the field)--the stadium is a really great venue. Hippie Chick Quarter & Half Marathon is a great race, and it's an especially good EVENT. I am a little bummed that I missed the costume contest--I thought that only teams in costume needed to contact HTC about participating, but I think that individuals were probably supposed to as well. Since there wasn't a It can be a little spendy, so sign up early and/or be sure to keep an eye out for one of the many discount codes that HTC Race Series puts out--it's a race you don't want to miss! :)
