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Washington > Girlfriends Half Marathon
Vancouver, WA • Sunday, October 13, 2013 • Course Map
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Set for its 7th annual running in 2013 through the streets of this city that lies perched along the northern side of the Columbia River here in southwestern Washington state, just across the river from nearby Portland, Vancouver's Girlfriends Half Marathon is more than just a road race -- it's an event that seeks to both empower and encourage women as well as raise needed funds for breast cancer research.
The race is run as a benefit for the Oregon and Southwest Washington chapter of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the nationwide nonprofit organization/network of breast cancer survivors and activists who help promote the cause through events like the organization's annual 3-Day For The Cure, a 60-mile walking event that takes place in 14 cities across the United States from late July through mid-November each year.
The Girlfriends Half is an event that's run very much in the same spirit, as many of the participants get dressed out in pink running shirts, shorts and caps for the race, which they are permitted to take part in any way they like -- walking, jogging or running. And, as a special treat for the finishers, there's chocolate at the finish line for every runner or walker who completes 13.1 miles.
The course for the race follows an out-and-back route that starts and finishes near the intersection of Vancouver's 11th and Main Streets. From there, runners and walkers head out on what is mostly a fast, flat route through the city, trekking through areas like Officer's Row -- a stretch of historic homes along Evergreen Boulevard, which once served as residential housing for the soldiers and families stationed at Vancouver Barracks -- as well as the riverfront trails along the Columbia River.
After making their way out to River Park, the easternmost point of the race and the first turnaround point, runners then head back west along the route they've just run, back along Columbia Street and across the Lewis & Clark Highway over to Pearson Field, a small airport near the southern edge of downtown and adjacent to Fort Vancouver, which once served as a headquarters and supply depot for fur trading operations of the British-owned Hudson Bay Company, and later as a U.S. Army post, and today makes up the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.
Runners make their way around the streets of the base, running the final four miles of the half marathon around Fort Vancouver before exiting the base and heading back out into the city for the home stretch back in to the finish line at 11th and Main Streets.
More than 2,200 took part in the race's 2012 running, with more than 2,200 finishers in the half marathon and some 14 men finishing the "pink brigade" race.
Race
Weather & Climate
Nestled along the north bank of the Columbia River in southwestern Washington, roughly 10 miles north of downtown Portland, Ore., Vancouver typically sees cool to mild weather in October, when the city's average monthly temperatures range between 41°F and 63°F.
On the day of the race (Oct. 13), the average low is 42°F and the average high is 65°F, while rainfall totals for the month average just under 3.3 inches -- making October occasionally rainy but usually much drier than the later fall and winter months.
Course Map
View the map for the Girlfriends Half Marathon
Starting Time
9:00 AM
Fees
$70 for the half marathon, if registered by May 31, 2013
$75 between June 1 - September 14
$80 between Sept. 15 - October 12
Registration
To reserve your spot in the early fall 2013 running of Vancouver's Girlfriends Half Marathon race, register online at GetMeRegistered.com.
Official Race Website
www.nwpersonaltraining.com
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Ever run in any of Washington's annual Girlfriends Half Marathon? Share your impressions, stories and tips from the event.
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