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by Walt Amacher
These lads were among the toga-clad revelers, supermen, hula dancers, and other crazies competing for prizes at the annual Starlight Run costume contest held before the start. The best group, best individual, best youth, and best centipede (ten or more runners hooked together in some fashion and running intact as a group) were chosen based on how wild the audience applauded as they took turns walking, doing cartwheels or crawling across the stage. Some contestants put on little skits, but most just smiled at the audience and had a good time with it. The crowd loved every minute. Apparently, if you give runners a chance to dress up, you'll see some pretty weird stuff. There was a very polite waiter dressed in a tux and a couple of Holsteins waiting for their chance to run the 3 plus-mile course. Four teenage boys raided their mom's lingerie drawer and came as Victoria's Secret models. A very shy lady dressed in wedding attire with a poodle and a red feathery stole reminded me of Greta Garbo, as three blind mice padded their way among the crowd. There were also a couple of New Carissas in need of mending, a Peter Pan complete with pirates, and a very cute mouse. Ashley Loberg came dressed as a rose with her dad Chris as her watering can. Together they charmed everyone in the audience as dad went around sprinkling daughter with a spray bottle hidden in his spout. Since voting was by applause, these botanical buddies easily won for best group. And the Something About Mary/Cameron Diaz, look-alike, Shannon Haugen, with the hair gel problem easily won in the best individual category. Many other great costumes were in contention, including the guy who came as his daughter's toy chest and another guy in a straw hat who rode on the back of an elderly lady during the whole run. The elderly lady didn't appear too happy about giving him a ride, but she couldn't avoid it since they were "joined at the hip." I caught up with Race Director Steve Hamilton just after the start of the run and asked him about the new course. "It never made sense to us for the race to go point-to-point, " said Hamilton, referring to the old course that started on the east side of the Willamette River and ended on the west. "Starting and finishing at Lincoln High School is so much better. Runners don't have to worry about catching a bus anymore." Of course one of the main reasons runners get dressed up for this run is that it precedes one of the Portland Rose Festival's most popular events, the Starlight Parade. The course for this fun run uses a large portion of the parade route, which means there are literally thousands upon thousands of spectators crowded along the streets, cheering for the runners as they pass by. That can give any man wearing a skirt a lift. The fastest centipede was the last to get an award at the finish after the runners straggled in. Hamilton estimated that between 3,500 to 4,000 runners participated this year, not a bad number considering the kind of spring weather we've had and the fact that it was held on a Saturday night. Of all the costumes, my favorites were the angels. Dressed in flowing white gowns with wings on their back, at least two of these lovely angelic athletes were seen cruising among the crowd. It wasn't clear if their wings helped them as they ascended the last hill, but they were lovely to behold as they floated to the finish. Next year, the Starlight Run will once again encourage runners from all over Portland to dress up and act crazy for an evening. There's no doubt something will inspire them to train a little, get into costume and gather for this fun event. I'll no doubt be there again, because I'd hate to miss it. It's just too much fun! Look here for all the photos ! by Walt Amacher
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