By Sara Gray

   A favorite marathon for many participants, the 34th annual Portland Marathon will start at 7 a.m. on Oct. 9 in downtown Portland.

   Named Best Organized Marathon in North America by the “Ultimate Guide to Marathons,” the Portland Marathon draws a higher percentage of female finishers than any other marathon in the U.S. Last year, 3,400 women finished the race, representing 57 percent of the
race’s participants.

   The race’s 2,400 walkers accounted for 28 percent of total finishers last year, ranking it 6th among U.S. marathons for its number of walkers.

   A qualifying event for the Boston Marathon, the Portland Marathon course features views of the city, the riverfront, Old Town, and several residential areas as it winds through downtown streets and over the St. John’s and Steel bridges. Last year, over 65 bands, cheerleaders, DJs, and other entertainment lined the course. Participants should expect more of the same this year.

   The race includes several events, such as the 21st annual Five-Miler, 20th annual 10K Mayor’s Walk and the 19th annual two-mile Marafun Kids’ Run. Wheelchair participants are welcome to register for either the marathon or the Five-Miler events. There will be a judged Olympic-style racewalk competition in both the marathon and Five-Miler distances. And the race will be the first U.S. marathon to include a Nordic Walking category.

   A complete Portland Marathon schedule of events is listed below. For more information about the Portland Marathon or to register, call (503) 226-1111, e-mail info@portlandmarathon.org, or visit www.portlandmarathon.org.

Schedule of Events:

Thursday, Oct. 6:

Portland Marathon Event Director’s College, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Multnomah Athletic Club

Friday, Oct. 7:

Portland Marathon Event Director’s College, 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Multnomah Athletic Club

Sports & Fitness Expo, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Portland Hilton

Saturday, Oct. 8:

Portland Marathon Event Director’s College, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Multnomah Athletic Club

Sports & Fitness Expo, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Portland Hilton

Pasta Dinner, 4 – 9 p.m., Portland Hilton

Sunday, Oct. 9:

Marathon Walk/Run & Half-Marathon Walk/Run Start: 7 a.m.

Five-Miler Run Start: 7:45 a.m.

Kids’ Run Start: 8 a.m.

Feeling Blue?
   Thanks to Dasani, Trek and the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a new community bike program has been established at Redmond’s Marymoor Park. If you are 18 or older, you can now receive free access to a fleet of 20 Trek Classic Cruiser bicycles.

   Visit the King County Parks Department office, (M-F, 8:30 a.m.- 4 p.m.) at Marymoor Park, present a valid photo ID and – once you’ve agreed to the program’s terms and conditions – you’ll receive a swipe card that unlocks the bikes. 

   “People are taking advantage of it,” said Tom Teigan of King County Parks and Recreation. “If it’s wildly successful we’ll work with Trek and other local organizations to expand the program.”

  Rentals are for one day only and can be used only on the Sammamish River/Burke Gilman Trail.

    To learn more, see www.dasani.com and www.metrokc.gov/parks/trails/trails/burke.htm

Earn Money For Trails
   The American Hiking Society is currently accepting applications for the 2006 National Trails Fund. Created in 1998, the National Trails Fund gives community organizations such as volunteer-led trail clubs and local land trusts the resources necessary to build or repair new or existing trails, protect trail corridors, and support trail outreach and volunteer programs. The American Hiking Society will be accepting grant applications until Nov. 1. Awards will range from $500 to $10,000 per grant.

     For guidelines and more information, see www.AmericanHiking.org.

Walk to School
   Celebrate International Walk to School Week, Oct. 3 – 7 and Walk to School Day, Oct. 5. Last year approximately 3 million walkers from 36 countries participated in the event, according to the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. The festivities raise awareness about the importance of youth physical fitness as well as the need for safe walking and biking routes in our neighborhoods.

To learn more or to plan your own Walk to School Week activities, see www.iwalktoschool.org

Pro-Bicycle Legislation Rolls Into Congress

   A new pilot program designed by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D - Ore) has been included into the final version of H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The $6.2 million  initiative, called “Conserve By Bike,” established a program within the Department of Transportation that will oversee up to 10 pilot projects across the country that will, through education and marketing tools, save energy resources by converting car trips to bike trips.

   On Aug. 10, President Bush signed into law the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA). The bill, which was designed to meet the country’s transportation needs for the next six years, includes a new Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program that will provide every state with a minimum of $1 million in funding each year to get more kids walking and biking to schools. 

      To learn more, see www.fhwa.dot.gov/reauthorization/safetea.htm.

Hurricane Relief Becomes a Team Effort

   If you’re a member of the outdoor industry, whether you are a trained emergency response technician or work for an outdoor gear manufacturer, you are an asset to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

  The Outdoor Industry Association has created an emergency relief fund to help outdoor retailers and outfitters impacted by the disaster.

   If you’d like to make a monetary or product donation to outdoor businesses in southern Mississippi, please contact Cindy Haddox at (303) 444-3353 ext 208, chaddox@outdoorindustry.org.

   To apply for relief funds, contact Frank Hugelmeyer at (303) 444-3353, fhugelmeyer@outdoorindustry.org. 

   All requests for relief will be held in the strictest confidence.

  For more information, see www.outdoorindustry.org/webnewsimages/Katrina.htm

She Just Keeps Going…and Going  

   Carol Dellinger, a 42-year-old woman from Spokane, Wash., completed the San Francisco Marathon, her 190th marathon on July 31, propelling her toward her goal of finishing 200 marathons.

   Dellinger has been running marathons every couple of weeks for 15 years. In 1998, she became the first Northwest woman to complete 100 marathons and she plans to continue running marathons even after she reaches 200.

   She said the feeling of exhilaration when crossing the finish line is what keeps her coming back time after time.

   “It’s a very euphoric, extraordinary feeling,” she said. “I used to play women’s fast-pitch softball, and it’s right up there with hitting a home run.”