Hundreds Join Bend’s ‘Happy Girls Half Marathon’
The Happy Girls Half Marathon and 5-k run began along the Deschutes River at 9 a.m. Sunday.
The women were put through a test of endurance as they ran 13.1 miles.
But they had a scenic route to enjoy, including panoramic mountain views, quiet trails in town and breezes past Bend’s iconic Deschutes Brewery.
The first finishers hit the finish line right after 10:30 a.m..
“All these ladies have been training so hard, and the camaraderie, really supporting each other,” said Molly King, Lay it Out Events organizer. “It’s so fun to see them finishing. They have smiles on their faces. They’ve got great attitudes, and watching them sprint to the finish line is just a feeling you can’t describe.”
Runners got a nice “swag bag” with goodies, including a Born-Fit T-shirt, a $10 gift card for a spa, a pint glass from Deschutes Brewery and a sterling silver necklace as a finisher’s medal.
A portion of all the proceeds from the event goes to KIDS (Kids Intervention and Diagnostic Services) Center, an organization dedicated to the prevention, evaluation and treatment of child abuse.
