Race Details

Background

The Marine Drive Dry Triathlon began in 2022 when I, Meaghan Russell, had the idea of biking, running, and skating the Marine Drive Pedestrian Path in one go. I thought others might enjoy this as well and that it would be a fun way to bring together my roller derby and running communities. The inaugural Marine Drive Dry Triathlon was a small event on June 26, 2022, with sixteen athletes and four volunteers. Despite hot weather, a good time was had by all, and it encouraged me to keep the event going and expand it. In the race's second year, it tripled in size! In 2024, you can look forward to new improvements like app timing, a later start, and a real podium. This is a DIY event and I am not a professional race director. You are welcome to be as competitive or non-competitive as you like, but if you have participated in professionally organized races, expect this to look a little different. You will be timed; you won't be chipped; you will get a medal; it will be homemade with love.

Course and Format

The race is three laps: run, skate, bike, in any order. Participants may complete the full triathlon or just one or two sports. The route is an out-and-back and the start/finish point for each lap is the ramp onto the Marine Drive Pedestrian Path from the M. James Gleason Memorial Boat Launch parking lot. The turnaround point is the top of the ramp where the path goes up to Marine Drive, just west of the Glenn Jackson Bridge, about 3.7 miles east of the start/finish point. Each lap is approximately 7.4 miles, with options to complete shorter distances instead (see "Shorter-Distance Options" below). The route is mostly flat with one steep ramp and some very shallow undulations, for a total elevation gain of 50 feet per lap. Each time participants reach the turnaround, they will collect a bike, skate, or run token that can be attached to their medal. 

Who should participate?

Marine Drive Dry Triathlon welcomes athletes of all skill levels and paces. In the past, we have hosted brand new skaters, runners, and cyclists as well as locally competitive and elite athletes. The race provides opportunities to be competitive and challenge yourself or to have a relaxed time engaging in joyful movement with friends--the experience is what you make it. The cutoff time was chosen based on the idea that it would allow an athlete to walk the running portion and still complete all three sports in time.

Youth athletes may participate if a parent or guardian is present during the race (either participating or staying at the start/finish area while their child participates).

Trans and nonbinary athletes are encouraged to compete in whichever gender division is the most comfortable fit for them. Registration includes female, male, and nonbinary options, as well as the option not to select a gender. 

We welcome feedback on how we can make the Dry Tri more inclusive for a wide variety of athletes, including (but not limited to) considerations around pace, disability, race, gender, and age. 

Location

The address of the M. James Gleason Memorial Boat Launch is 4325 NE Marine Dr., Portland, OR, 97211. Between the car lot and boat/trailer lot, you will find a ramp that leads up to the pedestrian path. The top of this ramp is where you will check in and begin the race.

Route

Outlined in blue

Start/Finish

Circled in red

Turnaround

Circled in red

Timeline

Cutoffs are to respect volunteers' time and keep athletes safe in case of heat. The path is a public place and you are welcome to continue using it if you want; these cutoffs indicate when your race will be supported and your times recorded, which is not guaranteed if you continue after the cutoffs. Because of the choose-your-own-adventure format of the race, we may not know winners in individual sports until the final cutoff. All participants are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and stay to the end to cheer on other athletes and be present for podium photos in case of a top 3 finish. 

Race Experience and Amenities

The event will be app-timed by volunteers. There will be two aid stations, at the start/finish and the turnaround. Aid stations will be stocked with water, ice, gatorade, snacks, menstrual products, and basic first aid supplies. The course has no shade and race day is likely to be warm, so participants are required to bring at least two liters of water each, in vessels you can carry. Participants are welcome to bring other snacks for themselves, but no alcohol or glass containers are permitted in the park or along the path. Sunscreen is highly recommended. There is parking onsite at the M. James Gleason Memorial Boat Launch for $5. There are are also bathrooms and garbage cans available onsite in the parking lot near the start/finish. Racks will be available for bikes. Participants must bring their own locks. Storage will not be available for other gear, so participants should store it in their cars. 

Awards

All participants will receive a finisher's medal. There will be awards for the top three female, male, and nonbinary finishers in each sport (bike, run, skate) and the full dry tri. If you do not list your gender on your registration, you will be eligible for an award if you finish in the top three overall in any sport. Overall awards will be held in reserve in case there is a top 3 finisher whose gender is unlisted. All athletes will compete as individuals; there will be no team awards.

Finisher medals

Turnaround tokens

Registration Fee

Registration for the race is $40 per participant. This is significantly less than most multi-sport races because we want the race to be accessible to as many athletes as possible. Scholarships are available for athletes for whom the cost is an obstacle. Please email MarineDriveDryTri@gmail.com to request a scholarship.

The registration fee exists to cover the costs of aid station supplies, medal supplies, race insurance, and permit fees, plus a charitable donation. All proceeds beyond the cost of producing the race will go to Columbia Riverkeeper. Columbia Riverkeeper is an environmental justice nonprofit working to protect, restore, and care for the Columbia River, whose beauty we will enjoy during this race. 

Skate Rentals Available

Thanks to a partnership with Rose City Rollers, the Skatemobile will be onsite for this year's race! Roller skates will be available for rental. Skate rental is $15 and is paid to Rose City Rollers when you pick up your skates on race day. Race organizers will cover the fee for scholarship recipients. Renting skates is a great option for newer skaters who would like to try the skate portion of the race. There is a question on the registration form about skate rental.

Shorter-Distance Options

This year, the option is available to do part of any sport lap without completing the full 7.4 miles. If you choose this option, you will not receive an official time and ranking for that sport, but will receive a sport token at the start/finish area. When you are assigned your timing volunteer on race day, please let them know if you are choosing this option for any sport.

Weather Contingencies

Safe rollerskating requires relatively dry weather. The course, as an unsheltered, unshaded, concrete path along a river, is also vulnerable to excessive heat and high winds. If June 15 won't have safe weather for the race, it will be moved to June 29. If June 29 won't have safe weather for the race, it will be cancelled. Refunds will not be issued because we will have already purchased supplies, city permits, and general liability insurance (a condition of required permits). This is the risk with a weather-dependent event. In the event of a cancellation, aid station food, water, and ice will be donated to mutual aid organizations. A call will be made about cancellation or postponement 24 hours prior to the event and participants will be notified via email. Grounds for cancellation or postponement are a forecast that includes more than trace amounts of rain, wind over 20mph (likely to be heavier along the river), or temperatures reaching 95 degrees before 11:30am.

Contact Information

Email: MarineDriveDryTri@gmail.com