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I am a runner—a senior runner. I have been running since I joined the track team at Roosevelt Junior High School—nearly 60 years ago! I never won any races, but I remember very well the good feelings and self-esteem I enjoyed after a hard workout or race.

It’s grey, cold, and dumping buckets outside. I’ve been in a car for six hours listening to the strum thwack of wipers, squinting to determine if I’m staying between the striped lines, and white-knuckling the steering wheel driving to Marin, CA.

It may not boast the title of Tracktown, USA, or have the foodie culture and urban appeal of Portland, but the oft overlooked Corvallis, OR, has plenty to offer both locals and visitors. The city of over 55,000 residents has a wine walk, an annual Turkey Trot, an abundance of wineries and a state university offering cultural and educational experiences, as well as athletic spectatorship.

After 19 years of racing, my wife knows that road-tripping to an ultra is just another “vacation that’s not really a vacation.” However, there are a few races that happen to fall in the summer months with venues that can be fun for the whole family.

Show up at the start line of any road or trail run, triathlon, or cycling race these days and it is clear women are no longer a minority in the racing scene.