Many regard fall in the Northwest as the most beautiful time of year to be outdoors. Whether a person enjoys paddling, pedaling, running or even a luau in November, there’s a bounty of events to keep everyone satisfied.
Winter Pineapple Classic —
Nov. 16 at Magnuson Park
 Just when the short mushy days start to make you feel like you’re just getting up from an all-day nap, a ray of sunlight breaks through the clouds and shines directly over northeast Seattle’s Warren G. Magnuson Park: Welcome to the Winter Pineapple Classic.
An old airplane hanger is converted into an indoor beach party and the Land of Aloha for pre- and-post race activities. As the slogan reads: You will have fun. You will get dirty. You will be joining the fight to cure Leukemia and other blood cancers.
The entire 5K course weaves through Magnuson Park, a large multi-use complex along the shores of Lake Washington, where teams are faced with a series of obstacles and physical challenges. The terrain is a healthy mix of grass, paved bicycle paths, roads and dirt paths.
Obstacle descriptions are left playfully ambiguous until race day, Nov. 16. The event is all about having fun with the unexpected, enjoying time with friends and family, and raising funds to fight blood cancers, says event director Wilma Comenat.
Participants have the option of entering as a two- or four-person team or as an individual. All participants start the event in waves which helps prevent congestion at the obstacles. A team’s final time is marked once all members are across the finish line.
As you approach the huge hanger doors after the race, the almost visible smell of great Hawaiian food – including a roasted pig – and sound of traditional luau entertainment create an ambience of fun, family, relaxing, and the importance of taking life slow. Once inside, participants have the option of playing volleyball, checking out the outrigger display, indulging in the beer garden, or just relaxing. Bring your beach chair!
Additional information is available at www.winterpineappleclassic.com.
West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium — Sept. 19 – 21
Mark your calendars for Sept. 19-21 and plan on celebrating the longest running sea kayak symposium in North America. The West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium will celebrate its 25th anniversary with three days of on-water demos and water instruction as well as ongoing clinics and presentations.
The symposium will be held at the beautiful Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend. Current ferry information may be accessed by following the link provided on the symposium’s main page, www.wcsks.org.
Nowhere else will you be able to demo gear from industry leading manufacturers or hear from John Bowermaster, a professional adventurer for National Geographic, who will speak about his recent expedition to Antarctica.
Regardless of your skill or experience level, hearing the trials and tribulations of a professional adventurer, gaining professional instruction and watching footage from the best paddle films available is sure to spark a new sense of water exploration.
For more experienced paddlers, a new seminar will be offered on how to use flares. According to symposium director Nikki Rekman, few people know how to properly use them. Instruction on strokes, maneuvers, balancing and navigation will also be offered.'
Other highlights of the weekend include a screening of Rapid Media’s Third Annual Reel Paddling Film featuring the world’s best paddling films. Attendees may purchase a three-day, one-day or just a beach pass. Additional information is available www.wcsks.org.
Kitsap Color Classic — Oct. 5
By early October the foliage will be vibrant hues of orange and yellow and the Olympic Mountains will no doubt have just received its first dusting of snow. Take it all in from the saddle of your bicycle during the 15th annual Kitsap Color Classic Oct. 5, presented by the Cascade Bicycle Club.
The tour caters to all abilities and interests with multiple routes ranging from 14 to 64 miles.
“The Kitsap Color Classic is a great way to wrap up the season,” says M.J. Kelly, communications director for Cascade Bicycle Club.
On the morning of the event, Edmonds Bicycle Advocacy Group will offer a pre-race, all-you-can-eat, pancake breakfast followed by a scenic ferry ride to Kingston (ferry ticket is included in the $35 registration fee). The tour meanders through some of the most beautiful terrain the Northwest has to offer.
Evenly dispersed food stops will have an assortment of food and drinks to keep your energy up throughout the ride. Cascade Bicycle Club safety, medical, and mechanic crews will be driving the course until the last set of wheels are over the finish line.
To access ferry times and learn more about how to register, log onto the Cascade Bicycle Club official website, www.cascade.org.
Portland Marathon — Oct. 5
Few marathons offer an opportunity to make the world a greener place while running a personal best. The Portland Marathon Oct. 5 offers a descending back-roads route through one of the most scenic cities on the west coast. Upon finishing, runners are given a pin, medal, rose, performance shirt and a small tree to plant at their discretion.
But small trees and roses are not the only thing making the Portland Marathon unique. Thirty percent of all finishers reported running a personal best along the flat course at last year’s event, according to event director Les Smith.
To get things started, the Sports and Fitness Expo will greet participants Oct. 3-4 at the downtown Hilton Portland for packet pick-up, health screening checks and demonstrations, sports medicine and fitness programs, sales on shoes and apparel and other run and walk related products and services.
Come race day, there is something for everyone. Runners and walkers will toe the line at the intersection of 3rd and Salmon in downtown Portland for the marathon run or walk, a 5-miler, 10k or kids’ race. Nineteen aid stations evenly spread out on the marathon course will offer replenishments.
Perhaps the most unique feature of the Portland Marathon is the Celebration Tent. For $125, racers receive “VIP and luxury treatment,” according to Smith. In addition to being personally escorted to the starting line, Celebration Tent members have access to massage and entertainment, as well as specialty foods before and after the event.
For more information, log onto www.portlandmarathon.org.
Andrew Fast of Woodinville is a recent graduate of Seattle University and will embark on a year-long volunteer adventure in Thailand beginning in September.
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