Portland Marathon Likely to Close In July!!

Create your own team for this year's Portland Marathon!

The Portland Marathon is proud to provide a program developed for sponsors, charities, non-profits and corporations of all kinds to run for a cause while implementing a corporate wellness program to benefit any organization. Implement the program to establish an employee wellness program or compliment a program already in place.

The Portland Marathon "PLUG IN" Program For Success will take your run/walk experience to a new level!

How Do I Get Started?
Create a team with your co-workers, company departments, corporate alliances, or sponsors. A Team event is designed to help build teamwork across departments and promote fitness and giving within the workplace. Your co-workers and associates will train to run or walk in any of the Portland Marathon events while having the opportunity to raise funds for a cause of your choice.

How Do I Create A Team?
To create a team you must first choose a Team Captain.

Team Captain Instructions:

1. Register your team using the "Team Captains - Create Your Team" button, BEFORE you register for the event. When creating your team you will select your team name, category and division. During the team creation process you will agree to pay the $100 one-time Team fee, which will be charged, to the credit you use to register for the event.
2. Provide your Team Name to all individuals who want to be on your Team.
3. Create a team password (optional) and provide it to those who wish to be on the team. (As Team Captain you will have access to the team information via the back office feature of Team Registration, once this team is created. See: Additional Information at the end of this page)
4. Maintain contact with team members and manage your team roster online. Roster changes are accepted until September 15, 2010. No exceptions.
5. Designate a meeting area for team members before and after the race. The Marathon does not have a designated meeting area for teams.
6. Verify team information by visiting the event info booth at the expo on Fri/Sat before the event

How Do I register for A Team?
Once a Team Captain, as above, has created a Team, the Team Captain must then go back to registration to register for their event, select their team name from the drop down menu on the registration form and enter the password (if password protected). Team Members will also register for their event, select their team name from the drop down menu on the registration form and enter the password (if password protected).

Which Events are open to Team participation?
All Marathon events are open to Team participation. Teams members can register in any combination of Events. Teams may also be competitive or non-competitive. Only competitive teams will be eligible for timing and awards. Events include: Marathon Run, Marathon Walk, Half Marathon, 10K-Non Competitive Walk, and the Kid's Marafun Run

What Categories and Divisions are available?
Team categories include:

Open
Any group of people who are members of a club, civic organization, political candidate, neighborhood, church group, etc

Corporate
Any group of people who are members/employees of the same corporation, business or government agency

Military
Any group of people who are members of the armed forces or are employed by the federal government- all teams considered mixed male and female

Masters
All team members must be at least 40 years old

Family
Any combination of family member vs. family member i.e.: father/son, mother/daughter, sibling/sibling, etc

Specialty Teams
Any group who wants to compete in a category not listed above may submit teams into a specialty category of their choice. The Event reserves the right to approve and sanction said category and team as participants. (IE: Kaiser Hospital Teams, corporation vs. corporation) Note: Specialty Teams will be given a registration code once their team has been approved by the event.

Divisions for each Category include:
MALE: Any group of men
FEMALE: Any group of women
CO-ED: Any group of men and women

Special Divisions for the Category of Military also will include:
Brigades, Battalions, Companies, Platoons, Squadrons, Squad, Other

How many can be on a Team?
Teams must be a minimum of 2 people for non-competitive and 3 people for competitive. There is no maximum number for any team. However, individuals can only be a membe r of one team.

Competitive vs. Non-Competitive Team Information:
Non-competitive teams can have members who are participating in any combination of Events and will not be eligible for awards. Competitive teams members must all participate in one event. Only the first three (3) finishers times in that event will count toward the team score and division award.

Run for a Charity
All teams are encouraged to choose a favorite charity to run for, donate to, and/or actively fundraise for. Teams can also choose a charity from the Official Portland Marathon Charity list on the official website. The Event Official donation and fundraising program offered by the Portland Marathon is a fully administered program that provides individualized fundraising pages in an electronic format. If your company already supports a charity on our Official Charity list, the Event program will provide your employees, sponsors and affiliate partners with a fully administered program to increase donations and fundraising. Have a real impact on the community, invigorate your employees, and elevate your visibility in the community.

Personalize your Team
Teams are encouraged to print a team t-shirt or singlet and invite their co-workers, friends and family to participate as volunteers for the race. Pictures and human-interest articles submitted by teams become the property of the Event and will be reviewed for publication in post event electronic publications and other media formats by the event.

Team Registration Deadline
All Team Captains and Team members must be registered on-line by September 15, 2010 to be considered part of a Team.

Register your team today!

Volunteers of America Oregon is now an official Portland Marathon charity! We invite you to join team VOA and walk, run, or volunteer, and raise funds for our vital programs. We have been helping Oregonians since 1896, and are a leader in the search for innovative solutions to some of our community’s biggest social problems: poverty, child abuse, domestic violence, addiction, and caring for the isolated, frail elderly.

There are several options for participants: a full marathon, half marathon or 10K. We have a limited number of premium half marathon spots available (these can only be obtained through a charity – they are sold out), so sign up today for team VOA!

Team members make a fundraising pledge to VOA. Pledges are very achievable, and we encourage participants to continue fundraising until race time. We offer plenty of support and online tools to assist you. We want you to succeed! In return you will receive the following benefits:

• An individual fundraising web page and other online support tools
• An opportunity to make a difference in your community
• Volunteers of America Oregon singlet
• Complimentary Pre-Race Pasta Party
• Join us in the VOA finish line tent for post race treats
• An iPad for the #1 fundraiser!

Please contact Marcia Mersky (mmersky@voaor.org or 503.595.2027) to join team VOA!

Portland Marathon Likely to Close In July!!

The Portland Marathon has partnered with Rovia to bring you the best deals on your marathon travel as well as your personal or business travel. Rovia beats Travelocity and Expedia 68% of the time. For more information, visit, GoingTheDistanceTravel.Rovia.com

Connect with our online community of runners and walkers!

Join us on Facebook (Portland Marathon) or Twitter (@pdxmarathon) to share your thoughts, photos, stories, and to pose your questions about running, walking, sweating, the Portland Marathon, aid stations, and gear. The list of topics changes by the minute!

Have questions or comments about our newsletter or email blasts? We'd love to hear them. Just email your thoughts to info@portlandmarathon.org.

Half Marathon Entries Still Available through Ray of Hope Foundation!

Runners and Walkers, you can still obtain a coveted registration slot for the Half Marathon through the Ray of Hope Foundation! The Ray of Hope Foundation is a grassroots, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting global health, healing and education through the exchange of volunteers, technology, training, medical supplies, and educational programming. Ray of Hope currently has programs in regions of Kenya that deal with extreme poverty, HIV/AIDS, and lack of resources.

Come run or walk for the Ray of Hope Foundation! You will have a fantastic time while helping a worthy cause. If you sign up for our team and fulfill our very reasonable fundraising requirement, you will receive these great benefits:

• Free registration to your marathon event
• Ray of Hope singlet or tee shirt
• Pre-Race Pasta Party
• Free massage and treats for our runners and walkers in our finish line tent after the race
• Special prizes for the top 3 fundraisers! (Think spa, beauty treatments, massage, etc.!)

Please contact Andrea at admin@rayofhope4all.org to obtain more information. We look forward to having you on the Ray of Hope Portland Marathon and Half Marathon team!

Thank you Portland Hilton & Executive Suites!

We would like to thank the Portland Hilton & Executive Suites for their ongoing support and sponsorship. They have been the Portland Marathon's official hotel for more than 27 years! The Hilton hotel, located at 921 SW Sixth Avenue, is also the host of the Sports & Fitness Expo, Pasta Party, and Awards Ceremony. They are only 300 yards from our Start and Finish area. We're told only a handful of rooms are still remaining for the weekend of Oct. 10th.

To book a room at the Hilton for event weekend, please call 503-226-1611, 1-800-Hiltons, or Click Here to reserve your room today (2 night minimum) and receive the Portland Marathon special rate when you use the discount code PDM to book a 2 NIGHT STAY. For more information on the Portland Hilton & Executive Suites, visit www.portlandmarathon.org.

The Portland Marathon is filling up fast!

Registration for the Portland Marathon is up this June compared to years past. Despite a tough economy, the Portland Marathon and many other distance running events in the country are seeing an increase in participants. Be sure to register before it's too late. Sign up now for the 39th Annual Portland Marathon before it's sold out. Visit www.portlandmarathon.org to register today.

Tell us about your tunes

We continue to update our statistics on what runners are listening to and how they use music to train and run events. This helps us continue to be the MP3 Player-Friendly Portland Marathon. Take our iPod MP3 Survey Now!

Click here to take the survey now!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=zcusqW2P4GUNt_2f4OJRFvaQ_3d_3d

Classical, jazz, blues, rock, syncopated drums, marimba, Dixieland, big band, swing, country, Christian rock, Latin, hand bells, bagpipes, salsa, mariachi, folk, calypso, harps, Andean, Japanese drums and even accordions and polka—the Portland Marathon’s variety of entertainment is sure to keep you going at every mile.

Over the 26.2-mile course, we'll feature at least 72 bands and entertainers at more than 60 venues. In addition to bands and music, we also have cheerleaders, dancers and of course, thousands of spectators.

The musicians and entertainers who perform annually for the Portland Marathon follow in a very long tradition. For more than 20 years, the Portland Marathon has been a pioneer in live, on-course entertainment.

10-10-10 will mark the 39th Portland Marathon. We have 74 entertainment groups at 53 locations along the course. Each year more than 12,000 people run, walk, or volunteer with the event. Proceeds from the Portland Marathon go to help local schools, charities, and non-profits. The event has been called the "best-organized marathon in North America" and has received national attention for being one of the first eco-friendly, "green" marathons.