After going virtual in 2021, a field of more than 15,000 runners participated in Oregon’s favorite St. Patrick’s Day weekend tradition
Portland, OR – March 13, 2022 – Talk about delayed gratification. Runners, joggers and walkers waited 1,092 days for the return of the Shamrock Run Portland, and the event didn’t disappoint on Sunday morning.
The 44th renewal of the Pacific Northwest’s most popular road race brought out over 15,000 entrants from 46 states and 19 countries. And while day unfolded in overcast, windy, damp conditions, that didn’t prevent the runners from partying hard.
In the early afternoon, with rain still falling, Katrina Hombrebueno was dancing on the grass as the green-clad Irish band Coming Up Threes rocked the event’s legendary finish line festival.
“It was good vibes today,” said Hombrebueno, who lives in Portland. “It felt like our community was back together. After all the COVID stuff, it was good to see everyone again, dancing, having fun. Shamrock puts on a good party.”
Three days before Shamrock Runs Portland was to be held in 2020, with tents set up in the finish-line area, the event was canceled because of COVID protocols. The race was staged last year as a virtual event.
But nothing beats live, road-race energy, runners and walkers nervously and excitedly crowding toward the start line, breaking into a sweat on a run, passing runners, getting passed, all pulled to the finish line like metal drawn to a magnet.
“I always get so fired up to run the Shamrock 5K,” said Portland’s Carrie Dimoff. “It’s my favorite local road race. I gave it everything I had.”
And her everything was plenty good. Dimoff won the women’s 5K in 17 minutes, 18 seconds.
In some ways the event was a microcosm of the pandemic’s two-year rollercoaster. On Friday, runners had to wear masks to pick up their race bibs. On Saturday, Oregon lifted its mask mandate and come Sunday masks were an option, not a necessity, and you didn’t have to imagine what someone’s smile looked like behind a facial covering.
“It brings the whole community out,” Dimoff said of the event. “There’s thousands of people in the streets. I get to see all my runner and non-runner friends out here, my neighbors. It means a lot to me to see this back. It’s something I’ve done every year since I moved here in 2005.”
One of the Shamrock Run Portland’s lures is that there’s something for everyone. There’s a 5K, 8K, 15K, half-marathon, four-mile walk and 1K Doernbecher Leprechaun Lap for kids.
Taking in the scene around her, Dimoff said, “Everyone gets into the spirit. You see green everywhere. There’s costumes, there’s people running with their children, their parents. It’s multi-generations just having fun.”
Portland is a running mecca. Adidas is based in Portland. Nike is headquartered a short jog outside the city in Beaverton. Elite post-collegiate runners descend upon the city to train.
There was running royalty in Sunday’s field. Alan Webb, the American record holder in the mile and 2004 Olympian in the 1,500, raced the 8K.
That thousands of runners showed up in cool, damp conditions, Webb said, “It just shows how strong the running community is in metro Portland and the northwest of the state.”
Webb’s wife, Julie, finished second in the 15K. From the Did You Know files: Julia twice broke the Guinness World Record for fastest time pushing a stroller in a half-marathon. Her record times: 1:21:23 and 1:22:57.
The award for gutsiest performance goes to Tate Schienbein, who won the 5K (14:43), then tried to double in 8K, finishing third in 24:19.
Race winners included: women’s 5K (Dimoff, 17:18); men’s 5K (Schienbein, 14;43); women’s 8K (Theresa Hailey 27:37); men’s 8K (Johnny Rutford, 24:09); women’s 15K (Amanda Phillips, 54:55); men’s 15K (Jesse Joseph, 44:48); women’s half marathon (Kaitlyn Peale, 1:17:51); men’s half marathon (William Thompson, 1:09:28).
For complete results, photos and more, visit ShamrockRunPortland.com.
