Girlfriends Triathlon & Fitness Festival

PARKING IS INCLUDED IN REGISTATION FEES.

This summer weekend Triathlon & Endurance Sports Festival at a beautiful venue along the Columbia River offers something for everyone from a Sunset 5K & 10K Run/Walk, Sprint & Olympic Distance Triathlon, Duathlon, & AquaBike, Girlfriends All Women's Sprint Triathlon/Duathlon/AquaBike & 5k, Kids Triathlon and so much more! It is one of the most scenic areas with views of the Columbia River, Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens and Vancouver Lake.

Join us for the 9th Annual PEACEHEALTH APPLETREE Boston-Qualifying Marathon, NEW First Responder’s Relay Marathon, Half Marathon & Sunset 5K. This “Run Through History” will take you on a flat, fast and scenic course through Fort Vancouver, Officer’s Row, the Army Barracks, Pearson Airport – the oldest operating airport in the USA, the Historical Old Apple Tree, along the majestic Columbia River and many other historical vantage points. There’s so much to see that the miles will fly by!

This event will quickly be regarded as one of the prettiest and most unique courses in the Northwest and perhaps the USA! When do you get to experience a history lesson during your race?!

The quaint community of Vancouver WA will welcome you and your family with open arms and provide you with a racing experience that you just can’t get anywhere else. The volunteer support is off the charts and the energy along the course will make it an enjoyable experience that you will want to return to year after year.

NEW: We designed a flat and fast new 1 loop Boston Qualifying course that is spectator-friendly and highlights the beauty of this community. The new route offers an exciting racing experience with many energetic water stations and plenty of entertainment to keep you engaged. The Half Marathon will offer the same experience with the joy of knowing you get to start the party a little earlier than your Marathon counterparts!

This is the third year of our First Responder’s Marathon Relay created to honor all our first responders – Peace Officers, Health Care Professionals, Fire Safety and those in our military branches. We offer relays for those teams as small as two members up to nine members (with additional alternates), customized relay shirts and the opportunity to compete within their profession as well as against other divisions to obtain the coveted 202 PeaceHealth Appletree First Responder Baton inspired by the logo created by PAL’s, the beneficiary of the race.

The Sunset 5K will offer a shorter distance for our friends, family, and others in the community who would like the opportunity to enjoy the racing experience. It will also allow for a Pre-race shake-down for our Marathon and Half Marathon athletes and the opportunity for them to earn the coveted BEAST medal for an athlete who races both Saturday and Sunday.

Since Vancouver WA is right across the river from Portland OR, you are within a 20-minute drive to the PDX International Airport and minutes away from the big city.

WHY APPLETREE? Vancouver WA is known for its history including the Old Apple Tree Park, home of the Oldest Apple Tree in the Northwest and maybe even the entire Pacific West Coast. The APPLETREE Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K will celebrate all this history, capture the beauty of the Northwest and create a theme of all things ‘APPLE’.

2026 MLK DREAM RUN – REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Saturday & Sunday • September 19–20, 2026

PCC Cascade Campus – Portland, Oregon

Join the MLK Dream Run’s 5K, 10K, and 15K races—an annual Soul District fundraiser that fuels small business growth and uplifts youth entrepreneurship.

THIS RACE IS PUT ON BY COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY.

ONLINE REGISTRATION

Online registration closes Friday, September 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM (Noon).

EVENT LOCATION

Race Start / Finish • Soul-Ful Vendor Village • Entertainment Center

Portland Community College – Cascade Campus

705 N Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97217

Onsite Registration Tent available both days.

PRE-PACKET PICKUP & ONSITE REGISTRATION

Saturday, September 19, 2026

10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Sunday, September 20, 2026

7:00 AM – 7:45 AM

We strongly encourage all participants to attend Saturday’s Pre-Packet Pickup to avoid long lines on Sunday.

Enjoy the full Saturday experience:

Live music

Vendor market

Food & beverages

Course test-run with the Nike Shakeout

Community networking

Full activation: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM

Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1639520974369?aff=oddtdtcreator

RACE DAY SCHEDULE — SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2026

Warm-Up: 7:00 AM – 7:55 AM

Race Start Times:

15K – 8:00 AM SHARP

10K – 8:10 AM SHARP

5K – 8:20 AM SHARP

Start/Finish Line Location:

PCC Cascade Campus

705 N Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97217

Course maps will be emailed to all registered participants.

AWARDS & POST-EVENT ACTIVITIES

Awards follow USATF guidelines, based on the self-identified gender selected during registration:

Youth (20 & Under) – Male/Female

Open (21–39) – Male/Female

Masters (40–54) – Male/Female

Super Masters (55+) – Male/Female

Prizes

🏆 Overall Fastest Male & Female in Each Distance

→ Receive one Round-Trip Airline Ticket from Alaska Airlines

🥇 Open, Masters & Super-Masters Winners

→ Win their weight in beverages courtesy of Widmer Brothers

🎒 Youth Category Winners

→ Receive a special swag bag prize package

All category winners also earn:

✔️ Medal

✔️ Media coverage

✔️ Bragging rights until next year

Finisher Perks

Every finisher receives:

Swag bag with sponsored gifts

Nike race t-shirt

Cold beverage

Fresh grilled cheese sandwich courtesy of Dave’s Killer Bread & Tillamook Cheese

Entry into raffle drawings from generous local businesses

Post-race activities include music, raffle prizes, networking, and our Soul-Ful Vendor Village.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Help spread the word and let the community know you’re running!

Facebook: facebook.com/MLKDreamRun

Instagram: @MLKDreamRun

Twitter: MLK Dream Run PDX

THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING

And thank you for helping us

#INVESTINTHESOUL

Stay tuned for our upcoming announcements about 2026 entertainment, vendors, and Soul-Ful Market participants!

THE GIRLFRIENDS AND PINK BRIGADE HAVE RAISED OVER $900,000 OVER THE LAST 18 YEARS!

The 20th Annual Girlfriends Run offers a Half Marathon, 10K & 6K designed specifically for women to get together to do something good for themselves and to help support a very important women’s cause.

We started this event to honor and support one of our BFFs, Joleen Skarberg, who was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and continues to run it every year with her daughters, sisters, nieces, cousins and girlfriends! Watch for her – she’ll be wearing #1!

About half the gals run, half walk and many do a combination of running and walking. It doesn’t matter how you get to the finish line, as long as you get there!