Saturday’s Sunrise to Summit race featured some of Central Oregon’s fittest athletes racing up Mount Bachelor. The race had three options, Sunrise lodge to summit run, Bend to Mount Bachelor bike followed by sunrise to summit run or Bend to Mount Bachelor bike hand off/run from sunrise to summit from your partner (two person team).
But two guys decided to make it a little more epic, by RUNNING from Bend to Mount Bachelor and then doing the Sunrise lodge to summit run. Central Oregon Athlete caught up with one of them, Jason Adams:
Central Oregon Athlete – Who did you do it with?
Jason Adams – I did it with my good friend Scott Hubbs who I’ve gotten to know through the Cascade Lake Relay race.
COA – How did you get the idea?
JA – Two years ago I was on an epic trail run with Justin Wadsworth and I asked him what were some of the toughest runs that he has done in Central Oregon. He said that he ran from his house in Bend to the top of Mt. Bachelor. At that moment, I decided that I wanted to do it! Last fall my friends Adam and Ian and I, ran from the Athletic Club to Sunrise Lodge, I then knew that Bend to the top of Mt. Bachelor was possible for me. After I raced the Ashland Hill climb with my friends Zach and Stephanie last month which had a 300′ more climb, although at lower elevations, than Bend to top of Mt. B, I knew it was time to sign up for the Sunrise to Summit and start in Bend. Lastly, I got Scott to sign up too knowing companionship would be key to making this enjoyable!
COA – What was it like?
JA – Scott and I decided to take Century Dr. because we thought it was the most direct route not knowing the trail system well enough. We also decided to just ‘cruise’ from our start near Cascade Middle School to Sunrise lodge running together and then hit it hard up Mt. Bachelor. It took us about 3:40 over that stretch. It was enjoyable doing it together having some support from Molly & Dan at MBSEF along with a friend of ours, Andy Young, who cycled up Century Dr. and rode with us for a couple of miles to give us some encouragement. The weather was great as Scott and I tried to keep up conversation as much as we could before the head wind hit us near the end! Then we were passed by about 10 bikers doing the Bend to Bachelor duathlon as we made it to Sunrise Lodge. It was nice to hear a few cheers from the volunteers too!
When I first started climbing up Mt. Bachelor, I was feeling ready to hammer and told Scott that I’d see him at the top. I was happy to have some duathletes to chase and powered up to the top of the Sunrise life catching 5 of them. Then the second half of the climb I really started hurting especially when my left calf cramped up about 6-8 times. Thinking of Justin’s run, wanting to motive Scott, and the excitement of the Summit kept me pushing through the fatigue! Then I crossed the line in 4:34 hrs, I looked over my shoulder back at Bend and smiled! Now I could put my name and on the short list of Bendites who have done this run, get some food and warm clothes, and cheer my buddy to the finish!
COA – Would you ever do it again?
JA – Yes, I’d like MBSEF to turn this into a race and stretch it out 3+ miles to make it an annual marathon! Maybe Drake Park to the Summit of Mt. Bachelor? This is the best day of the year to do it because the chairlift can take you back down! If not, next year I’ll be on Bend’s west side somewhere at 7AM Saturday of Labor Day Weekend if anybody wants to join!!
