First
On Saturday we checked out of the AirBnB, picked up coffee one more time at the PDX Coffee Club, then drove up to the Linfield College satellite campus where there was parking and a shuttle to the Glendoveer Golf Course for the races. We walked the 1.4 miles to the golf course rather than taking the shuttle.
The course snaked all over the golf course and spectators will move from one part of the course to another to see the runners pass multiple times. Many times spectators cross the course; when and where this happens is unrestricted. And this is something that I think is really cool… with hundreds and hundreds of people and thousands of course crossings, we never saw anyone interfere with the races. People only cross consciously. It might seem like a small thing (because it is a small thing) but when I witness people cooperating–when each does their own part to keep things running smoothly–I feel better about being a member of this species.
The Weather
We were expecting weather that was mostly rainy and about 50 degrees. That temperature isn’t too cold as long as it doesn’t also include being wet. We prepared for wet and even wore our hiking boots to the golf course. And there was a fair amount of mud, but gloriously, it barely rained at all in the 3 hours we were there. It’s funny how, when expecting bad weather, being lucky and getting better weather feels like such a gift.
Links to the Races on Youtube
Here is the men’s 10k: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3vW-etK_RY&t=2132s
And here is the women’s 10k: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCS3dNO7-_k&t=2657s
If you watch carefully, there are a couple of places where Arlene and I can be seen on the sidelines. See if you can find them! (You can’t.)
Here is a picture of the start of the women’s race:
You might be able to use information from this picture to find me and Arlene in the YouTube video (but you’ll probably fail).
One factor in our deciding to go to the race was that Allie Ostrander would be running. Arlene has known of her since her college days at Boise State. As a very young runner she became famous in the yearly Mount Marathon race in Seward, Alaska. In the summer of 2024 we went to see her run the steeple chase at the Olympic trials. These days, we watch all of her videos on YouTube. (As well as those of her finance, Spencer Brown.) Here is a picture of her on Saturday… on the left.
She came in 8th overall which, Arlene and I agree, is a great performance for her. I just hope that when she puts up of video of race day, she is happy about it too. Life is too short to be disappointed with our own great performances.