Maybe other road races in this part of the country have such long inclines, but as a Midwesterner, I certainly wasn't prepared to run the middle 5k completely uphill (on SW Terwilliger Blvd) only to come flying back down for nearly the entire final 5k.

The race offers a unique (in my book) challenge as your perceived effort almost never correlates to your pace. I split a couple 6:00+ miles up Terwilliger and several 5:23s down, yet my effort was much higher running up!

The race was pretty well produced this is notable as there are three events that occur that morning: a 5k, 8k, and the 15k. Long lines at the potties as usual before the start of a race. (HINT: I ran out to about the first mile on my warm up and found completely vacant potties).

Finally, the competition was pretty good (I wish I had been in better shape, but don't we all). I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to run this race again, but it was a good, unique racing experience and a great way to see SW Portland!