The Oregon Mountain Running Series

The 2013 La Sportiva / USATF Oregon Mountain Running Series calendar has been announced, more or less. We're still waiting to see if Larison Rock Hillclimb will join in, but five races have made the cut, and two of those races are directed by the Timberline Trail Running Club. 

The link with all the details is here, on the Oregon MUT blog, but I can say that there will be cash prizes. And lots of La Sportiva trail shoes. Robert Yerex, the Mountain, Ultra, and Trail coordinator for USATF-Oregon, points out that "though all races are open to all runners, USATF membership is required to score and win awards in the series." 

So $100 to the top USATF man and woman at each race, $200 to the best USATF man and woman in the series, which is the Best of Three (out of 5 or 6) races, $150 to the top USATF masters man and woman, etc. And lots of trail shoes, courtesy of La Sportiva. (The Oregon MUT blog also has info on how to register with USATF, and the additional benefits thereof. If you're a USATF member before the start of the race, you're automatically in the Series.)

April 27th starts off the Series with the brand-new 15-mile Smith Rock Ascent. 

Then, the 10-Mile Granite Man is on June 2. We'll be at the Pine Hollow Experience June 1 and June 2 for the Pine Hollow Paddle, Pine Hollow Sprint Triathlon, Pumice Man double triathlon, and the premier Redneck Aquathon, in a joint celebration of X-Dog Events and the Timberline Trail Running Club. So, we'll have to miss this one. But not to worry, as the Series is the best out of three races.

Next up is the Mt Ashland Hillclimb Run Saturday, August 10. This classic race is now in its 36th year, and is the day before our Timberline Mt Run Sunday, August 11. Again, you only need to compete in three races, so you could do one or the other. However, the Series will Award the top USATF man and woman who run both the Ashland Hillclimb AND the Timberline Mt Run. In fact, in addition to the top-finishers Series Award, we might just give you a special prize of our own just for doing our race on Sunday after doing the Hillclimb in Ashland. Let's just say the trip to Timberline Lodge will be worth it. It's also my birthday, so there will be lots of cold beer.

So, the 6.97-Mile Timberline Mt Run on August 11 is the fourth race in the Series, and remember that we have a special award for the Mt Running Team Champion. The beauty of this is that the team points are weighted toward participation, so the more people on your team, the more points you get. This year there's only one category, which is Open/Mixed teams, so the only prerequisite is you have to have at least one female on your team. Simply write down your team name when you register, and you're in. Last year the Cropdusters and Oregon Active were both Mt Running Champions.

The next race in the Series is the 5.6-Mile Multnomah Falls Trail Run Sunday, September 29. We will again award the best costume, which is open to participants in the 5.6-Mile Race and the 5.6-Mile Walk. In addition, we are awarding a special prize to the first runner to finish wearing a Superhero costume. 

I've been Superheroing races for some time. I think it started at the Starlight Run 12 or 13 years ago, where I dressed as Batman, and just tried to be the first to finish wearing a costume. It was tough, but not impossible. It's great if you can win or place overall, or win your age group, but sometimes running a race in a Superhero costume gives you that extra edge, because how many other people will be racing seriously in a costume? So in addition to giving out the standard awards for top three male and female, and first in each age category, we'll be awarding the first Superhero.

This weekend we'll be in Pine Hollow readying the bike racks for the X-Dog Dirty Du and Dirt Dash at Hagg Lake April 14. 

And tonight kicks off the Oregon Active Springtime Urban Trail Series. 

See you there!