August 22, 2009

On Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009 FrontLine Foundation will host the first annual Historic Bend Run & Float which includes an adventure-type run and float that begins and ends in downtown Drake Park.

The history of Bend and Central Oregon will be the theme of this event—an area with a rich history worth celebrating.  Drake Park will be the backdrop where activities, bands, BBQ and some great family fun will take place.

Starting the day out right, there will be a community pancake breakfast at 8:00am in Drake Park as racers prepare to start their morning.  The run portion of the race will begin near the Drake Park footbridge and head southwest towards Galveston.  As racers head west up Galveston, they will pick up their first adventure clue at Fleet Feet Sports (which is also the registration and race packet pick-up location).  The recreational racers (they can be individuals or make up teams) will walk, run or stroll 1.5 miles to McKay Park with the competitive racers running a 10k, made up of street and dirt trails.  Once to McKay Park, all racers will get in their boats, kayaks, rubber duckies and inner tubes and head down the river where they will encounter more additional fun on a neighborhood dock near the Columbia Park Footbridge.

Once racers make it down the river and across the finish line, Drake Park will transform into a playground of years ago--just imagine pie-eating contests, BBQ, dunk tanks, burlap sack races and good old fashioned fun.