Hesch and Bak Take 2012 Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon Titles
September 2, 2012Christian Hesch, of Hollywood, CA and Natalie Bak of Bend, OR enjoyed perfect running conditions in the Willamette Valley on their way to their first Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon victories today. Hesch ran a 1:06:37, to beat out Aissa Oghoughi of Vancouver, WA (1:07:05) and defending champion Mario Mendoza of Bend (1:08:53). Bak, who finished 2nd last year, completed the scenic 13.1-mile course in 1:19:23, defeating Lauren Johnson of Portland, OR (1:19:31) and Korina Pongracz-Bartha of Portland, OR 1:21:53. Bak and Hesch received $500 in cash, a Riedel Decanter trophy and Double Magnum of wine from Ken Wright Cellars.
Nearly 1,500 runners traveled from 40 different states and seven foreign countries to the heart of Oregon’s Wine Country in the Willamette Valley. The race started at Stoller Vineyards, as the sun was rising over Mt. Hood to the east and the moon setting to the west, providing spectacular views for the runners.
Hesch built a strong early lead but had to “kick it into gear” after Oghoughi mounted a strong challenge at mile 11. “It was an incredible day and an incredible course,” Hesch said. “It rivals any wine country scenery I’ve ever run through.”
It was beautiful out there, I loved the run and Destination Races does a great job,” said women’s winner Natalie Bak. “I’ll definitely be back next year.”
The Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon is the fourth of five events in the Wine Country Half Marathon series. Produced by Destination Races of Sonoma, California, the Wine Country Half Marathon series also includes events in Santa Barbara Wine Country, Napa-to-Sonoma, Healdsburg and Loudoun County, Virginia. For more information visit www.destinationraces.com or www.run4oregonwine.com.
Results (full results can be viewed HERE)
Men
1. Christian Hesch, Hollywood, CA — 1:06:37
2. Aissa Oghoughi, Vancouver, WA — 1:07:05
3. Mario Mendoza, Bend, OR — 1:08:53
Women
1. Natalie Bak, Bend, OR — 1:19:23
2. Lauren Johnson, Portland, OR — 1:19:31
3. Korina Pongracz-Bartha, Portland, OR — 1:21:53
Muscle Milk Race to Kona Winner Announced
August 4, 2012From Press Release -
AA Sports and Muscle Milk® are proud to announce the winner of this year’s inaugural Muscle Milk® Race to Kona contest. Sherrie Austin of Portland, OR is this year’s winner and will receive the following:
- Five (5) night stay for two at The Royal Kona Resort (October 9 – 14, 2012 )
- Two (2) Round Trip Airline Tickets (Must depart and return to Portland International Airport)
- Assorted Muscle Milk and industry gear pack
Congratulations to Sherrie and a warm thank you to all of the participants of the AA Sports events this year included in the Muscle Milk® Race to Kona.
To check out a video of the prize drawing held at the My First Tri event in Portland on Saturday, August 4 head to the AA Sports YouTube page.
For more information about the contest, and for details about next year’s Muscle Milk Race to Kona, visit www.racecenter.com/racetokona.
Race Recap: Sun and Fun at Wahine All-Women’s and Amica Mid-Summer Weekend
August 1, 2012If you weren’t at Blue Lake last weekend, you missed out! At the Wahine All-Women’s and Amica Mid-Summer Triathlons, athletes enjoyed the warm water and flat, fast bike and run courses, plus a very festive atmosphere.
The weekend kicked off Saturday morning, July 28, with the All-Women’s event. The weather was perfect for the sprint triathlon, sprint duathlon and novice “Tri-iT” race. Kids joined in on the fun too with the Wiki Keiki Kid’s Triathlon. The Amica Mid-Summer Triathlon was held the next day, July 39. It featured an Olympic Triathlon in addition to a sprint triathlon, duathlon and “Tri-iT.” The events brought some of the area’s top triathletes and duathletes, as well as participants of all abilities.
“One thing I appreciate about AA Sports is how much they support athletes of all abilities! I did the Wahine on Saturday and had to work to get 3rd of 9 in my division. On Sunday, I showed up and did my best at the Amica [Mid-Summer] Olympic, 
slower, but because I was the only one in my category, I still got a special medal. Not all races do this. Plus, the music and food was available long after the last finishers were done. They are great about keeping aid stations on the course open for as long as it takes. It’s great to see people out there who are newer at triathlons, or slower, or just having a tough day getting all the support they need to finish and feel great about their day,” Sherrie Austin said.
The top women on Saturday proved age is only a number. The first three triathlon finishers were masters athletes from Portland. Sara Cannon, 43, won in 1:10:26. Not far behind was Bridget Dawson, 54, with 1:11:38 and Kim Grasberger, 48, in 1:12:36.
In the sprint duathlon, Laura Lindsey, 39, from Portland, won in 1:18:11. Jodi Shook, 37, (1:29:12) and Kirsten Bosnak, 26, (1:32:54) rounded out the top 3.
In the Amica Mid-Summer Olympic Triathlon, Jeff Smith, 30, and Ann Davidson, 48 were the overall winners. Both are from Portland. Smith finished in 1:55:31 and Davidson in 2:11:30.
Rick Floyd, 28, from Boise, ID, (1:10:31) and Dana Reid, 32, from Hood River (1:20:54) were the winners of the Amica Mid-Summer sprint triathlon. In the duathlon, Sean Campbell, 45, from Klamath Falls and Laura Lindsey, 39, from Portland came out on top. Campbell clocked 1:20:22 and Lindsey finished in 1:28:20.
For full results, visit http://aasportsltd.com/events/results/
The fun did not stop at the finish line! The Hawaiian theme at the Wahine All-Women’s Triathlon created a festive atmosphere.
“I have done this all women’s race 3 times and this was by far the BEST! Loved the theme with great music, shirts and post-race food and drink!” Jennifer Surface Scott said.
After the races, participants and spectators were treated with lots of food, drinks and entertainment. Saturday’s Wahine All-Women’s event featured live drummers and a Polynesian show with fire and hula dancers!
“Great event and so much fun! Food, beer, and music were terrific! Loved seeing all the awesome, strong women out there!” Heidi Cardoza said.
The Ben Rice Band played live rock and blues 
music for Sunday’s event. This popular, local band was a hit with the crowd. Even after competing, athletes found the energy to dance and have a great time!
Want in on the fun? Come out to Blue Lake this weekend for My First Tri!
Race Report: 2012 Pacific Crest Long Course Triathlon
July 16, 2012Submitted by Craig Dean -
The annual Pacific Crest Weekend Sports Festival on June 22-24 drew endurance athletes from all 50 states and several countries to the beautiful resort community of Sunriver, Oregon.
The weekend was highlighted by the Long Course Triathlon and unseasonably chilly conditions leading up to the start of the race. After delaying the race for an hour from the previously scheduled 9am start time, race directors made the difficult decision to shorten the bike course away from the snow packed mountain pass of Mt. Bachelor and onto the lower elevations of the 28-mile Olympic bike course.
As triathletes are generally a hardened bunch, most of the entrants took the change in stride and focused on the job at hand.In the transition area, athletes chatted and joked about what lay ahead on the chilly and rather wet bike ride. Some participants traded tips and techniques for battling the harsh conditions with a few key garments that could be added before the ride. The normally quick transition from swim to bike was going to be a bit more involved than usual. A few veterans from the similarly harsh Boise 70.3 race just two weeks prior, shared from their experience and helped others prepare for what lie ahead. Moments before the start, the sun peeked out from behind the heavy clouds and offered some much needed hope to the masses inching their way to the water’s edge.
An elite wave of silver caps lead the charge into the clean and crisp waters of Wickiup Reservoir. Returning champion, Kevin Everett out of nearby Boise, ID, bolted from the opening gun and swam the majority of his leg uncontested, covering the 1.2-mile clockwise course in 25:34. Kevin commented after the race that the beauty of the nearby hills dusted with snow and the warm (looking) sun in the skies above made the swim a pleasant journey.
Meanwhile, a couple minutes behind Kevin’s wake, a small chase pack developed. In the pack were a couple silver capped elites as well as two speedsters from the red cap wave that entered the water one minute later. A second chase pack of silver capped elite racers trailed Everett by roughly five minutes. In the pack was three-time women’s champion Mackenzie Madison alongside OSU standout Molly Macgraw, as well as a trio of males battling their way for position. Macgraw lead the pack out of the waters with a 31:39 split with Madison tight on her heels for the short run to the bike racks. Behind the women, the trio of men emerged in near unison in what would become the cover shot for Bend Bulletin’s Sunday sports page. The top women’s swim split on the day came out of a later wave when Nicole Pressprich crossed the timing mats with a 29:16 swim split.
Everett wasted no time at the racks as a result of wearing his arm and leg sleeves under his wetsuit while on the swim. After the race he commented that the temporary sun that poked through the sky just after the swim made him contemplate the necessity of his thermal vest that lay draped over his waiting bike. Kevin adorned the vest and still turned a quick 1:17 transition. The 2nd and 3rd elite’s out of the water, Tom Campbell and Todd Riley, flipped positions in transition and rolled out of the park just seconds apart. Riley nearly matched Everett’s blazing pace on the bike while pedaling clear of all chasers. His 1:09:23 bike split was second only to Everett’s 1:08:09.
While the top two males sailed clear from the field, the men’s race was tightening behind them. Campbell held comfortably in 3rd position nearly two minutes ahead of pursuers Nick Alden and Cameron Dorn. Alden and Dorn traded positions late in the ride when Dorn flipped his chain and had to stop momentarily to flip it back into place.
On the women’s side, Macgraw loaded onto her bike first out of transition, about a minute up on Madison and nearly three minutes clear of third place Julie Glade. Macgraw held onto the women’s lead for nearly half of the bike before Madison reeled her in. Madison held onto the lead for the remainder of the ride, but didn’t create a gap on the rest of the field. Joanne Gilchrist utilized the top women’s bike split on the day (1:19:17) to eat into the leader’s margin and pull into T2 in 3rd position just seconds behind Macgraw. Anne Heiner quietly picked off riders ahead of her and eventually joined Glade in pursuit of the leaders heading into the run. The women’s race would be decided on the run and the twisting bike paths in Sunriver.
As one of the top professionals in the Pacific Northwest, Kevin Everett had only the clock to compete with while winding his way around tight turns and weaving bike paths of the resort community. His four minute lead on Todd Riley coming out of transition exploded to a 13 minute margin of victory thanks to his race best 1:19:31 run split (6:08 pace). Riley fought hard to hold onto 2nd position overall by running over two minutes faster than his run split at the 2011 Pacific Crest long course and held off his nearest pursuer by 40 seconds. Riley turned to wait for the 3rd finisher at the line when Cameron Dorn out of Waterloo, SC sprinted home. After having his chip stripped during the swim and chain pop during the ride, Dorn overcame early adversity to pass Alden in the opening miles of the run before gobbling up Campbell several miles later. Campbell completed his masters win by pacing an identical run split (1:27:33) to that of 5th placed overall Alden.
The women’s race was separated by less than six minutes for the top five heading into transition. The run shuffled the deck for everybody except the leader, Madison, as she held onto her thin lead with a 1:38:09 run to the line. Charging hard behind Madison was Ann Heiner and her 1:36:27 run split. Heiner started the run in 5th position and picked off competitors until she hit the tape within two minutes of the winner and good for 2nd place overall. 95 seconds later, Gilchrest crossed the tape after an impressive 1:39:46 run split to grab 3rd place. A few minutes later, Glade completed her gutsy run and late pass on Macgraw to finish in 4th place. Macgraw hit the line just 20 seconds in arrears.
For all the competed in the 2012 Pacific Crest long course triathlon, it was a test far greater than merely swimming, biking and running. The unseasonable wintery conditions altered the course and challenged the athletes to compete against a fourth element – Mother Nature. Congratulations to all that displayed the wonderful spirit of camaraderie and perseverance that thrives in our Northwest triathlon community. The conditions may never repeat themselves in the races future, but the bond amongst the athletes certainly will.
A special thanks to AA Sports, presenting sponsor Sunriver Vacations and the community of Sunriver for hosting and supporting this fantastic annual event.
For complete race results, CLICK HERE.
Men’s overall winner: Kevin Everett – Boise, ID 2:56:02
Women’s overall winner: Mackenzie Madison – Eugene, OR 3:36:06
Age Group Winners:
M 16-19 Ian Merkel – Redlands, CA 4:15:57
M 20-24 Cameron Dorn – Waterloo, SC 3:10:35
F 20-24 Molly Macgraw – Corvallis, OR 3:43:05
M 25-29 Chris Depner – Corvallis, OR 3:20:19
F 25-29 Anne Heiner – Portland, OR 3:37:44
M 30-34 Nick Alden – Eugene, OR 3:14:16
F 30-34 Julie Glade – Seattle, WA 3:42:45
M 35-39 Todd Riley – Bend, OR 3:09:37
F 35-39 Kristin Yarris – Salana Beach, CA 4:02:59
M 40-44 Tom Campbell – Renton, WA 3:12:22
F 40-44 Joanee Gilchrist – Chico, CA 3:39:19
M 45-49 Raymond Whitlow – Yamhill, OR 3:23:54
F 45-49 Sheila Donahue – Dundee, OR 4:09:12
M 50-54 Rob Saxton – Sherwood, OR 3:58:58
F 50-54 Carol Beebe – Bellingham, WA 4:34:22
M 55-59 Ross Wheeler – Kirkland, WA 4:22:38
F 55-59 Christina Anderson – Issaquah, WA 5:46:38
M 60-64 Bob Jordan – Lake Oswego, OR 4:36:54
F 60-64 Sharon Jensen – Bellingham, WA 6:00:11
Top Northwest Athletes Capture Regional Triathlon Titles
From Press Release -
The 2012 Pacific Crest Sports Weekend Sports Festival was held June 22-24, in Sunriver, OR. Despite the unseasonable weather, athletes came out in droves from across the country to participate in the 16th annual event. Among the events was the Pacific Crest Long Course Triathlon, which served as the 2012 TRI NorthWest Long Course Championship.
Eugene’s Mackenzie Madison returned to Pacific Crest this year to defend her long course title bringing her streak to four straight wins at the event. Photo: finishshots.com
Keeping safety a priority, race organizers were forced to shorten the bike route on the Long Course Triathlon due to snow on Mt. Bachelor, and the athletes adapted their race strategies accordingly. Kevin Everett, 37, from Boise, ID, and Mackenzie Madison, 25, from Eugene, OR, were the overall TRI NorthWest Long Course Champions. Everett clocked a 2:56:02 and Madison finished with 3:36:06.
2012 TRI NorthWest Long Course Champions:
Male Kevin Everett 2:56:02
Female Mackenzie Madison 3:36:02
Age group winners:
M 16-19 Alex Dalton 4:57:08
M 20-24 McKenzie Sampson 3:25:15
M 25-29 Chris Depner 3:20:19
M 30-34 Nick Alden 3:14:16
M 35-39 Kevin Everett 2:56:02
M 40-44 Tom Campbell 3:12:22
M 45-49 Raymond Whitlow 3:23:54
M 50-54 Rob Saxton 3:58:58
M 55-59 Ross Wheeler 4:22:38
M 60-64 Bob Jordan 4:36:54
F 20-24 Molly Macgraw 3:43:05
F 25-29 Mackenzie Madison 3:36:02
F 30-34 Julie Glade 3:42:45
F 35-39 Kelsey Richards 4:07:53
F 40-44 Jonna Skokan 4:01:37
F 45-49 Sheila Donahoe 4:09:12
F 50-54 Carol Beebe 4:34:22
F 55-59 Christina Anderson 5:46:38
F 60-64 Sharon Jensen 6:00:11
It warmed up in Portland for the 2012 TRI NorthWest Olympic Distance Championships at Hagg Lake on July 7. The historic race brought the Northwest’s top triathletes to scenic and storied venue at Henry Hagg Lake in Forest Grove.
Jeff Smith’s well-rounded swim, bike, run combination put him on top of the Olympic distance field at Hagg Lake this year by four minutes. Photo: finishshots.com
The overall TRI NorthWest champions this year were Jeff Smith, 30, and Ann Davidson, 48. Smith blazed a 2:04:01 and Davidson was not far behind as the top female with 2:24:11. Both athletes are from Portland, OR.
2012 TRI NorthWest Olympic Distance Champions:
Male Jeff Smith 2:04:01
Female Ann Davidson 2:24:11
Age group winners:
M 12-14 Alex White 3:52:13
M 15-17 Jordan Landstrom 2:16:55
M 18-19 Ciaran Smythe 2:21:55
M 20-24 McKenzie Sampson 2:16:09
M 25-29 Steve Campbell 2:13:32
M 30-34 Jeff Smith 2:04:01
M 35-39 Craig Dean 2:08:01
M 40-44 David Garcia 2:11:55
M 45-49 Steve Mayer 2:18:06
M 50-54 Mark Boguslawski 2:36:38
M 55-59 Curtis Troupe 2:29:47
M 60-64 Randy Boehm 2:48:58
F 20-24 Kambria Schumacher 2:25:28
F 25-29 Jacqueline Knowles 2:53:52
F 30-34 Sara Schmitt 2:47:47
F 35-39 Jill McDonnell 2:48:10
F 40-44 Tami Syverson 2:56:46
F 45-49 Ann Davidson 2:24:22
F 50-54 Judy Rose 2:39:40
For complete results from the Pacific Crest and Hagg Lake events, visit racecenter.com/results.
If you want a shot at the 2012 Sprint Distance Championship, be sure to sign up for the Amica Mid-Summer Sprint Triathlon in Fairview, OR, on July 29.
2012 Blue Lake Triathlon Kicks Off Northwest Season, Club Champions Crowned
June 11, 2012This year’s Blue Lake Triathlon & Duathlon is in the books and the 2012 Northwest triathlon season is officially under way. Seven different events were held over the weekend with Saturday, June 9 playing host to the sprint distance events and Sunday attracting athletes competing in the Olympic distances races.
In addition to individual competition, the Blue Lake Olympic Triathlon doubled as the 2012 TRI NorthWest Club/Team Championship. Coming out on top was the Willamette Valley Tri Club. The Portland Triathlon Club placed second with VO2 Multisport in third position. Points are awarded for both participation and also for age group placing. Although the WVTC fielded less participants than their Portland rivals, their age group performances gave them the advantage to take this year’s title.
Complete results for the weekend’s events can be found at www.racecenter.com/results or for a complete rundown of the Club/Team Championship, check out the results HERE.
Race Report: 2012 Heart of the Valley Triathlon
May 30, 2012
Memorial Day Monday is celebrated in many ways across the country. From memorial ceremonies with fly over jets to riverside campgrounds with friends and family around fire. For a few weekend warriors, Memorial Day starts with a sprint triathlon at the Osborne Aquatic Center in Corvallis, OR.
The first wave of swimmers at this year’s Heart of the Valley Triathlon took to the pool just after 8am with additional waves of swimmers hitting the lanes minutes after the previous wave cleared the waters in search of their bikes. By 9am, the final wave of swimmers pushed from the starting blocks. In all, 159 individuals finished the race in addition to 11 relay teams. Race organizers utilized an outdoor 25-yard pool in addition to the indoor 50-meter pool with extra wide lanes to expedite the tricky task of efficiently conducting a pool swim triathlon. In the early waves a plethora of athletes with various swim techniques managed their way through the 7-1/2 laps. From the pool deck, I witnessed backstrokes, breast strokes, side strokes and back floats. I couldn’t help but think of the courage it must have taken some of these novice swimmers to enter into the event.
Before the 3rd and final wave started in the indoor pool many of the contestants checked with their lane mates about the rules and conduct when passing. There would be a lot of passing as the lane assignments were configured according to each swimmers estimated 500-yard time. Some of the estimated times may have had more to do with desired time rather than a true estimate. Thank goodness for the extra wide lanes. Some swimmers stopped at the wall to allow for quicker fish to move ahead and occasionally a center line pass was required to keep everybody moving. When the churn of the pools subsided, Jefferey Nason stood a top the best swim split of the morning with an Aquaman like 10:02. Jeff was followed by Karl Britsch’s 10:32 and Matt Berg’s 10:38 to establish the top three men heading into transition. On the women’s side, Rachel Lee led out of the water like she has at this event in year’s past with a 10:33 split. The next women out of the water was Jayette Pettit at 12:04 followed by Allysa Martin at 12:48.
The HOTV bike course may be a mile shorter than the typical sprint distance of 12 miles, but it makes up for its abbreviated distance with a steady grind of rolling hills. With nary a flat section, riders find themselves constantly cycling up and back down their chain ring in search of the perfect gear to tackle the terrain. Matt Berg quickly established the overall lead with a quick transition followed by a strong climb up the opening hill. The field behind Berg shuffled a bit with Steve Mayer making the biggest leap from 14th out of the water to 3rd into transition. Steve utilized a the leading bike split on the day (28:28) to pull into contention while making it look rather effortless while passing me into the transition area. Berg led the race by 1:30 heading into the run.
On the women’s side, three ladies separated themselves from the pack with strong bike splits to set up a three racer showdown on the run. Molly McGraw’s 34:17 set the bar on the ride while also pulling her from 35th out of the water to 2nd in transition. Just 16 seconds behind McGraw, in 3rd position, was Gruber who had chipped away at Lee’s solid lead with a 35:28 bike split. Lee held onto the lion’s share of her lead with a 35:37 split and entered the run 2-minutes clear of her chasers.
A shirtless Matt Berg headed out of transition with a quick cadence and relentless pace. He never looked back on the lead he established early on the ride and cruised to victory with a new course record. Berg’s 58:32 erased the previous mark established by last year’s winner Grant Hayball (59:18). I paced the leader with a similar run split and pulled to the line at 1:00:02 and the same deficit (1:30) that I had entering the run. Chris Depner laid down the fastest run split on the day (17:20) while firmly securing his 3rd place finish.
The women’s race provided the drama for the morning with a shuffling of the deck towards the end of the run. Gruber whittled away at Lee’s lead in the winding twists of the neighborhood run on her way to a top performing women’s split of 18:37. She needed all but 14 seconds of her run margin to take the lead and ultimately the win on the women’s race with a total time of 1:08:58. Lee held on for second with a total time of 1:09:12. McGraw slipped from 2nd to 3rd overall and finished with a total time of 1:10:47 while laying down an impressive 20:43 run split.
There are plenty of colorful stories and addition to the race that don’t take place towards the front of the pack and those are the participants that make regional events like the Heart of the Valley sprint triathlon thrive. Three cheers to Team Burton and the “I am Burton” shirts worn while racing. I share my applause also with young Sawyer Olson who took his father’s advise and tried all he could to “stick to that guy there!” while out on the run. Sawyer’s father was pointing at me from the passenger seat of his van while egging his son on during the run. I’m guessing young Sawyer will soon be scanning the race calendar on www.racecenter.com in search of his next event.
A special thanks to AA Sports, event sponsors and the folks at the Osborne Aquatic Center for another great experience at the Heart of the Valley Triathlon.
For complete race results, CLICK HERE.
Men’s Winner Matt Berg :58:32
Women’s Winner Elizabeth Gruber 1:08:58
Age Group Winners:
Male 11 and under Jason Seiner 1:26:20
Male 12-14 Sawyer Olson 1:18:48
Male 15-17 Axel Estell 1:21:42
Male 18-19 Marco Ramirez 1:06:32
Male 20-24 Lucas Montgomery 1:08:50
Male 25-29 Chris Depner 1:02:14
Male 30-34 Travis Vitek 1:02:47
Male 35-39 Craig Dean 1:00:02
Male 40-44 Ken Hyland 1:04:08
Male 45-49 Steve Mayer 1:03:59
Male 50-54 Greg Hoard 1:16:01
Male 55-59 Phil Anderson 1:14:46
Male 60-64 Philip Deluca 1:28:10
Male 65-69 Riley King 2:17:14
Women 11 and under Ember Stratton 1:48:44
Women 12-14 Akari Seiner 1:32:21
Women 18-19 Olivia Cook 1:30:11
Women 20-24 Rachel Lee 1:09:12
Women 25-29 Juline Walker 1:15:39
Women 30-34 Jennifer Phillips 1:20:04
Women 35-39 Yalitza Moreno 1:20:51
Women 40-44 Cory Larson 1:22:25
Women 45-49 Jayette Pettit 1:18:22
Women 50-54 Mari Hammon 1:23:11
Women 55-59 Gail Kimberling 1:23:41
women 60-64 Sharon Gerl 1:22:47
Beaverton-based AA Sports Ltd. Brings New Talent to the Portland Running Scene with New Hire Stephanie Lowe
May 1, 2012AA Sports Ltd. congratulates their newest staff member, Stephanie Lowe, on her win at the 35th annual Seaport River Run last weekend in Lewiston, Idaho. Lowe was the overall female winner of the 2.9-mile race. Combined with a 10K, the event had a total of 1,216 participants.
Stephanie Lowe with coach (and boyfriend) Dave Ross.
“I ran about a minute faster than I expected. I think it helped that I paid more attention to my competitors than my watch,” Lowe said. “There were a lot of fast, high-school age girls in front of me at the start, but my years of racing experience told me to be patient. I passed many of them on a big hill to the bridge that crossed the river. One of the girls was still in the lead, but when I realized she was the only one, I thought to myself ‘I can win this.’ I kept her within striking distance for most of the race, then made my move after the 2-mile mark when I saw her start to struggle.”
A native of Burleson, Texas, Lowe started running in high school and competed in cross country and track at Texas Tech University. After injuries cut her college running career short, she focused on combining her passion for the sport with her career goals. Lowe covered professional and collegiate track and field, marathons and road racing for various publications. Lowe also worked as an intern for USA Track & Field before she graduated in 2008 with a degree in advertising. She said the knowledge she gained from successful athletes and coaches helped her slowly overcome her injury issues and start running again.
Lowe moved to the Northwest in 2009. She lived in Mountain Home, Idaho, before she moved to Portland last week for her new job as office manager and marketing assistant at AA Sports. Lowe said she is happy to have found a job that she enjoys in a city she loves.
“I have always wanted to live in Portland. It’s a great place for running and I have a lot of friends here,” Lowe said. “I miss my family and friends in Texas, but I was tired of too many midnight runs when the temperature was still in the 90s.”
Aside from the better weather, Lowe attributes much of her recent running accomplishments to her boyfriend, Dave Ross. Ross is also an avid runner and successful coach. He is a six-time winner of the Seaport River Run and was third in this year’s race. Since he started coaching Lowe, she has improved in every distance. Lowe qualified for Boston this January at the Houston Marathon.
“We have been together almost three years, but I only let him start coaching me last year because I previously thought I knew enough about running to train on my own,” Lowe said. “I saw the success he was having with his other athletes, so I decided to try to have him coach me for the Houston Marathon. It worked out well and I realized the importance of having a coach. He is great with figuring out the right workouts I need. He is supportive and sets higher goals than I would set for myself. It helps to have someone believe in you.”
Lowe returns to Boise for her next race on May 19, the Famous Idaho Potato Half-Marathon. She plans to run another full marathon before Boston next spring and will use shorter-distance races as part of her training.
“I race every distance from 5K to marathon, but think I am best at the longer races.” She said. “I don’t have a lot of natural speed, but I am strong, mentally tough and willing to work hard.”