By Steve Ritchie
Runners who are suffering from a case of the blahs caused by too much running on the road or track might find Saturday’s Silver Falls Challenge an intriguing change of scenery.
The Challenge is a 5-kilometer trail race at Silver Falls State Park on June 5, which also is State Parks Day. Park admission and parking fees are waived at Silver Falls and all other state parks on this day.
Sponsored by the Silverton Runners Club in cooperation with Silver Falls State Park, the Silver Falls Challenge was the brainchild of Dorothy Brown-Kwaiser, park interpretive ranger. Park staff were looking for ways to boost the attendance on State Parks Day, and, Brown-Kwaiser, a dedicated runner herself, hit on the idea of a run. She and colleague Vicky Sink approached the Silverton Runners Club with the idea, and the group embraced it immediately, offering to put it on.
The Challenge has seen a dramatic growth in participation in its short history. The initial race, in 2007, attracted 90 runners. That grew to 125 in 2008 and jumped to 180 last year. Race director Joe Craig hopes for 200 or more this year.
Craig maintains that at least part of the race’s growing allure is the fact that women and men have separate races. This year the men’s race begins at 10 a.m., while the women will start 10 minutes later, reducing the chance of overlap between the two groups.
Silver Falls State Park during State Parks Day
June 5, men start 10 a.m., women 10:10 a.m.
Day-of-race registration: 8:30 – 9:45 a.m.
Silver Falls Park Shelter D
Register online at: www.racenorthwest.com
“Women really like having their own race,” Craig said. “That way the men aren’t in their way.”
The course is another feature that runners seem to really enjoy. The 3.1 mile course includes a couple of steep hills and is run on a variety of surfaces, including grass, gravel, dirt and bike paths. Spectators and supporters can see the runners pass by a couple of times before they head away from the Falls area on a bike path, then eventually loop back around to the finish at Shelter D.
Another unusual aspect is the 1500 meter Youth Run, for kids 14 or younger. They need to register, but there is no fee. Craig said the free run for kids is in keeping with the mission of the Silverton Runners’ Club.
“I hate to see kids not being able to do the stuff their peers are doing just because their parents don’t have the money to afford it.
“Money that the club generates from this race, the Homer’s Classic and our other activities mostly goes to support fitness opportunities for kids. We buy running shoes for low-income students so they can run cross country and track. We pay for YMCA scholarships for the middle-school track program and we support Silverton and Kennedy high school programs, too. And we’re always open to new ideas, new partnerships and working with whoever is working with kids.”
Craig said the Runners’ Club is not a large group, but it has been successful in putting on races and generating funds to assist its primary causes.
“We want to encourage kids to get off the couch and get outdoors and discover the value and fun of being active.”
