Running commentary

You'd never know by the weather, but we're in the month that summer begins. The good news is that the cool damp weather is keeping the trails all around the Sisters Country dust-free and in perfect condition for running. We should not take for granted how lucky we are to have the Sisters Trails Alliance keeping our running and cycling trails growing, maintained, and well-marked.

The calendar for June, July and August is filled with trail runs, triathlons, and other endurance events in and around Sisters. Here is a sampling:

First up is the annual Sisters Athletic Club Try a Tri and Do a Du, set for June 4 at 9 a.m. The triathlon includes a 425-meter swim, a 12-mile road bike, and a three-mile road run. For folks who don't want to swim, the duathlon includes a two-mile run, 12-mile bike ride and a second run of three miles.

Individuals and teams can take part in both events. For the triathlon, three team members can each do one section. For the duathlon, one team member does the bike section and a runner runs twice.

According to race director Tate Metcalf, this event is the perfect way for individuals who have never done a triathlon before to try one out that is manageable. "It's a great local event on familiar routes and has become sort of a kick-off to summer," he said.

Attached to this event is the inaugural Sports Gear and Rummage Sale in the courtyard of Sisters Athletic Club. Individuals can price their own items and keep 75 percent of the proceeds, with the remainder going to the Kids' Multi-Sport program. Fully donated gear is also being accepted.

Next up locally is "Charlie's Challenge," named after your correspondent. This 15-kilometer trail run will also run from near Sisters Athletic Club. The race's name derives from a tradition that I have had over the years of challenging my cross country runners to chase me up the trail from the South Falls at Silver Falls State Park, with a short head-start for me. Since I am hoping that some of my current and former runners will come to Sisters for this race (since it benefits the Outlaws XC program), I figured it needed a familiar format. Honestly, it has nothing to do with the fact that I run so slowly that I need a 20-minute head-start!

Information for both of these events can be found at http://www.sistersmultisport.com.

The day before Charlie's Challenge is a brand-new event to Central Oregon that's name alone makes it sound like a lot of fun. It's the Bendistillery Mud Run/Filthy Frolic which includes individual, pairs, and team category and is described as a mud-and-puddle-filled 5-kilometer run. It is set for 11 a.m. in the Northwest Crossing area of Bend. More info is at the http://www.footzonebend.com website, along with the following events as well.

For a more hard-core experience, the Pacific Crest event at Sunriver takes up the weekend of June 24-26 and features just about everything you can imagine: a marathon, half-marathon, triathlon, duathlon, 10k, 5k, and a kids' "splash and dash." Complete information is online at http://www.racecenter.com/pacificcrest.

The Smith Rock Summer Sunrise Classic affords a chance to leave the trail and hit the paved roads surrounding beautiful Smith Rock State Park on the morning of July 9. The event includes 5-kilometer, 10-kilometer, and half-marathon distances. The event website is http://www.smithrockrace.com.

I am planning to take part in the Haulin' Aspen event for the first time this year on August 7 since it has three options for me to consider depending on how my summer training goes! The event includes trail runs at distances of 7, 13.1, and 26.2 miles-all point-to-point-finishing in Shevlin Park. The post-race celebration is said to include good food and drink.

The Outlaws high school cross country team will be offering community runs two or three days a week all summer long. These informal "come as you are" training runs are open to all ages. The kids welcome runners from throughout the community, so check The Nugget next week for times and days of the week and join these young runners.

Since the cross country team will be doing the Portland to Coast Relay again this year, we want to make some of these summer runs comparable to the legs faced in the relay, so for any locals running Hood to Coast, we will be in the same mode.

Sisters will be sending at least two more runners off to run in college as Taylor Steele, freshly crowned state champion for the 3,000 meters, and Seth Flanders, a stalwart on the Outlaws' cross country team the last four years, will both be competing for Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. Stefan Redfield completed his career at Willamette University in placing 13th in the 1,500-meter run in a time of 3:58.1. Parker Bennett will return for his sophomore season at Willamette in the fall.

I look forward to more time on the trail now that school is almost out. I hope to see all of you at Charlie's Challenge.