Staged at Smith Rock State Park, Monkey Face Half Marathon 4 Mile trail race is in its third year of production by Pink Buffalo Racing August 20. Participants encounter beautiful and challenging courses with plenty of elevation gain and loss for a satisfying experience, taking in the high desert landscape of juniper and sage plants, cypress and lob lolly pine trees, following the well-worn path through the canyon.
Both the half marathon and 4 mile courses pass over the Crooked River, where herons and other wildlife native to the area can be seen. Past participant and current registrant Drew Roberts lives 5 minutes from Smith Rock but never tires of the amazing scenery. He ran the half marathon in 2015 and is gearing up for this year’s race. “The overall course support was phenomenal and the course itself was sweet. But I think my favorite part was running with this guy from New York for most of the race and just chatting with him. This year, my brother-in-law is coming over from Portland to run it. This will be his first half ever!”
Half marathoners will stay on the Smith Rock State Park trail system, climbing 905 feet twice over the course of two loops for breath-taking views. Participants will pass seven aid stations along the half course stocked with Gatorade, water, energy gels, KIND snacks, peanuts, hard candy and First Aid. The 4 mile participants will have 3 aid stations. The 4 mile course begins at Rim Rock Trail and dips into the canyon before ascending 647 feet on Misery Ridge Trail with a view of Monkey Face before one last triumphant climb up Canyon Trail to the finish.
Complimentary refreshments will be available at the finish line as well as a celebratory pint of Deschutes Brewery beer for racers 21 and over. Deschutes representative Jason Randles says the brewery is thrilled to be a part of the race. “Supporting the enjoyment of our great outdoors in Central Oregon is something that Deschutes makes a priority! We love this area so much that we name many of our beers after local landmarks. The Monkey Face race is right in our backyard at one of our region’s treasures – Smith Rock – and we’re glad we could support the event.”
The top three male and female finishers in each of the age groups for both events will receive custom event medallions from Pink Buffalo Racing at the Eclectic Edge Racing timing truck, and all finishers in the half marathon will be given a commemorative custom-designed medal at the finish line. The half marathon women’s record is 1:59:19 by Clair Ellis in 2015 and the men’s record is 1:39:11 by Cameron Freshwaters in 2015 as well. The four mile women’s record is 43:29 by Jamie Parsley and themen’s record is 31:13 by Remington Williams, both in 2015.
Participants who have pre-registered can pick up their race bib numbers at FootZone in Bend from 4 pm – 6pm on Friday, August 19 and in person registration will be open at that time. Race-day registration and packet pickup will be 7am-8:45am at the starting line in the park. Event information can be found at www.PinkBuffaloRacing.com.
Piper Ruiz
541-731-3507
Piper@PinkBuffaloRacing.com
