Overcoming challenges worldwide
Left to right: Ben Hodgdon, Kevin Ward, Ashley Althaus, Kirk Sutherland, Art Avitia pose at the MLK Dream Run.
Written by Karl Dickman, edited by Chris Smith
Rose City athletes raced all over the country and the world on the Weekend of September 20 and 21. The team was represented in every distance at the MLK Dream Run in Portland, as well as the Boulevard Run in Spokane, Washington; the Sioux Falls Marathon in South Dakota; and the Berlin Marathon.
Berlin
In Berlin, Andrew Wilson, Natalie Menard, Pat Liu, and Sediqa Nedam represented Portland on the world stage. It was the first world major for Andrew and Natalie; and the second for Pat and Sediqa, who both raced Chicago last year. It was a hot day and conditions were tough for everyone.
Natalie had the worst of it, having caught a sickness at the end of a fantastic training block. Natalie says, “I’m trying to be positive and focus on the fact that I got to experience any of it at all. Being able to run the first 20k of that marathon was such a special experience, even though I felt so crappy. I’m just bummed I had to get sick after all the preparation I put toward the race.”
Pat ran 4:36:08, Sediqa ran 3:35:18, and Andrew 2:51:35. Running in the world majors is a big deal no matter what, and the Rose City community is so proud of Andrew, Natalie, Pat, and Sediqa for making the journey through the training block, to the starting line in Berlin, and beyond.
Sioux Falls
Back in the States, Jake Lewis completed the Sioux Falls marathon, notching his 17th state (South Dakota). Jake says, “I honestly forgot that I signed up for the marathon + 5k ‘dual’ until packet pickup.” The marathon started at 6:45 am and the 5k started at 10:15 am that same morning. Jake continues, “The back half of the [marathon] was challenging, with little crowd support and rising temps. The adrenaline kicked in for the 5k to be able to push and turnover the legs for another 20 minutes for a third place finish.” Jake ran 3:02:54 in the marathon and 20:20 in the 5k.
Spokane
Meanwhile in Spokane, Washington, Kyla Becker lined up for the Boulevard Race, a four mile race in downtown Spokane’s University District. The race website says, “The course features gorgeous tree-lined streets, the iconic Gateway Bridge, train trestles and tunnels, majestic views of the Spokane River, and historic brick buildings from a bygone era including the famous Schade Tower.” Kyla ran 22:06, finishing fourth in a competitive field that included professional runner Allie Ostrander in second.
Portland
In the home city, 7 teammates signed up for the MLK Dream Run, a fundraiser for the Soul District Business Association, “a nonprofit that promotes the economic development of inner north and northeast Portland.” The race includes a 5k, 10k, and 15k, running on the streets of the business district, passing Peninsula Park and Irving Park.
Lucy Brookham ran 18;32 in her first race after tearing her Achilles tendon this summer. Lucy says, “I worked my ass off swimming and biking this summer, so it’s nice to see it pay off and come back with some form of fitness. I did feel very rusty, and decided to race last minute so I had two workouts in my legs but I just really wanted to get on the strat line. I really missed it!”
Kirk Sutherland ran 50:01 in the 10k. Kirk says, “It was very nice to start the race with my teammates Ben and Kevin. I hadn’t had that magic of camaraderie before the gun goes off since Eugene Marathon.… The roads were slick, and I couldn’t see very well because, well, glasses. But I locked in, and really enjoyed the race. Running hard up the Mississippi hill was a super fun challenge, and felt surprisingly good... I’d certainly run this race again, especially since I now know what to really expect.”
Ben Hodgdon, coming off the rust buster at the Raw Oregon Honey 5k, ran 43:53. Kevin Ward ran 42:32, his first road 10k since joining Rose City.
Art Avitia was runner-up in the men’s division of the 15k, with 56:50. Art says, “Playing a little bit of a comparison game (ran two minutes faster two years ago) but trying to remind myself I was in a different place in my training cycle.”
Ashley Althaus ran 56:07, improving on her performance from the same race a year before by over thirty seconds. Ashley won the women’s division by over ten minutes, earning herself a free ticket from Alaska Airlines. Ashley says, “The win was a nice unexpected surprise. I was hoping for not getting lost during and beating my time from last year which [I] also accomplished…. Lauren Ross’s (last year's winner!) wise words of not letting the Mississippi hill break you were also very helpful.”
Conclusion
Across the country and the world, Rose City athletes faced unexpected challenges, including weather, illness, even surprise bonus distance. Through it all, they showed adaptability and resilience, rolling with the unexpected challenges. They persevered to notch victories large and small, whether it was a PR, an unexpectedly good performance, or taking the time to enjoy the moment. It can’t be said enough: the team is proud of them.