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Hydrate! Be sure to stay hydrated. Use Gleukos and water along the course. Call ahead to the waterstation volunteers if you would like water or Gleukos. Remember, Helvetia is a hilly course. This is good practice for the St. John's Bridge during the Portland Marathon. Slow down and walk if you need to. Please stay aware of any traffic passing in opposite lanes. The course is monitored by the Hillsboro Police, The Washington County Reserves, and many Course Volunteers. However, we still need to be safe! Stay to the right hand side of the road unless otherwise directed, and do not run more than two abreast.
Please obey traffic laws, watch traffic, and be courteous to our Helvetia neighbors. With this size of a race, there will be congestion for cars, especially near the turn-around where the course takes up both sides of the road. There will be patient residents needing access to their driveways, so please allow cars to get by when they can.
Racing tips from Nikki Rafie 
So, you've decided to come back and pay your yearly respect to the Helvetia hills,
or maybe it's your first time and want to earn your bragging rights for having done
this infamous 1/2 marathon. Well, either way you've made the right choice !
You've picked a greatly organized and well supported event with a scenic roller coaster course... One of my favorites !
First of all, given you're trained, a good race depends on showing up to the start line, well rested and properly fueled to perform. So, don’t over do it during the week and take a couple of rest days and the night before, eat a balanced meal with some good complex carbs. Be sure to hydrate… this is June in Oregon, it can get hot or it may be cool !?!?
This is a forgiving course but calls for smart tactical running. (see course map and elevation)
• The first 2 miles are flat and slightly downhill - Start off easy and comfortable, get warmed up and ready to tackle the hills. Remember there are 10k runners starting off at the same time. Don't get tempted to go out too fast and blow up later.
• Find a pack of runners close to your pace and enjoy the beautiful country side! Hills are a good place to make friends on the course …. Misery loves company :-)
• Miles 2-5 are pretty challenging, steady climb - Stay relaxed, give it a decent effort but don't push it.
• Keep the pace steady through the next 2 miles of ups and downs. Use the down hills for recovery but don't push the pace and burn out the quads - you'll need them later !
• Coming down the last major hill (mile 7), drop the shoulders, take a deep breath, loosen up, use the momentum to get in the groove for the next 6 miles of fast rollers and flat stretches.
• Ready for part II ?!? Here is what you've been saving it for you. Time to catch some of those early speedsters….
• These rollers are actually pretty decent, so use them well. Give it a solid push up the hills and go with the flow, nice and strong on the down side.
• Be ware and expect the short stretch of gravel…Yup, there is that coming up to mile 10--If you wear racing flats, you'll feel it here.
• After that there is a flat stretch, pick up the pace!! Then a right turn which brings you to the last short hill of the race…over the freeway, and then a quarter mile of slight incline before mile 12, just so you don't forget --- use this to focus and give it a push in that final flat and fast mile.
• Let's go for it, all the way to that oh-so-cool Stadium Finish!
• And yes, as I always say, got to look good at the end no matter how ugly it got out there --- smile!
• You'll be greeted by Paula's cheerful finish line crew… So be sure to thank them for being there with all your well deserved goodies :)
• Good Luck, have fun and kick butt!!!!
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• Portland Running Company phone: 503.524.7570