The Seaside Beach Run is a community event that has been a part of Seaside’s history since 1966.  Next year’s Beach Run offers several races and activities to meet the needs of a broad range of runners and walkers; activities include 5K and 10K beach runs, timed and non-timed 5K walks on the historic Promenade in Seaside, and a free “Kid’s Sand Dash” and Treasure Hunt for children under 12 years old—with prizes awarded in several age groups.

Next year’s Seaside Beach Run is scheduled for Saturday, July 20, 2013 and will be professionally timed by RaceTimer.  The course will begin and end at 12th Avenue at the North Prom beach access, and the entire event will be held on the beach to avoid traffic safety concerns and to celebrate Seaside’s coastal beauty.  At the conclusion of the event, Sunset Family Fitness will be hosting an awards ceremony and free picnic lunch with food, drinks and prizes.

We’re inviting you to support this event that encourages fitness, promotes community spirit, and showcases the best of the northern Oregon coast—and now benefits our local school children.  The links on the right include an Event Schedule and Route Map, a Fact Sheet about the history of the Beach Run, and a brief history sheet.

Registration opens April 1, 2013. You can conveniently register online by clicking  here or by visiting active.com and entering “Seaside Beach Run” in the search window—or if you prefer, you can download the registration form here, then complete it and mail it to us.  If you register by mail, make your check or money order payable to “Seaside Beach Run” (please do not send cash). If more convenient, we can also accept MasterCard or Visa Payments by phone; if you make your payment over the phone, please check the “Paid by phone” box on your registration form.

Adult registrations include your souvenir event T-shirt, so please indicate your size when you register; children are invited to participate in our free Kids’ Sand Dash and Treasure Hunt (free, but pre-registering helps us prepare by knowing the number of participants, and children’s T-shirts are available separately).  Please review the enclosed information and contact us if you have any questions—and we would appreciate any suggestions or feedback that you might have to make this the best event possible.  We hope you can be there to help us get off to a running start!

1970:    The event, which was held in August, was organized by the Seaside Chamber of Commerce, who organized the event with the assistance of the Seaside Boosters; Booster Byron Meek directed the run, which had grown to 189 participants.

1971:    Participation increased to 250 runners.

1974:    The race was shortened to 7 miles (course unknown).

1975:    The event, which had grown to 650 participants, was held on August 16 and included Claude Mulholland, who was the race’s oldest runner at age 85.

 1978:    Reflecting the increasing popularity of running in the 1970’s, the race featured 1200 runners, with an entry fee of $3 per participant.

 1979:    The event was held on August 11; Booster Chair Larry Person directed the event, which included 800 runners.

 1985:  The event was held in August, and was hosted by the Seaside Chamber of Commerce.  The route changed: though still 7 miles in length, it no longer crossed the Necanicum River.

 1987:    The event was hosted in August by the Sunset Empire Parks and Recreation District.

 1989:    The event, which consisted of 59 participants, was moved to July to eliminate a conflict with the Hood to Coast Race which was held in August.

 1990:    Participation once again began to grow, and featured 120 participants.

 1993:    The event was held on July 8^th, with the Turnaround being used as the start and finish lines.  Short “dashes” were added to the event and were held on Broadway.

 1998:    Running races lost popularity in comparison to the growing trends in inline skating and skateboarding; participation was reportedly “very low” (number unknown).

 2001:    The Sunset Empire Parks and Recreation District reported that only “several dozen” runners showed an interest in the event; without the revenue from participants, the Parks and Recreation District announced that it couldn’t afford to continue hosting the event.

 2002:    Seaside Downtown Development Association began hosting the event, which was held in July.

 2003:    The event was held on July 19^th, and included 149 runners.

 2004–2008:    The Seaside Downtown Development Association continued to host the race, which averaged “a few hundred” runners per year (exact figures unknown).

2009:    Non-profit organization Seaside Beach Run Inc. was established.  The entire race course was moved to the beach; Kids Dash became “Kids Sand Dash,” and a Treasure Hunt was added.  Participants included fifty 10K runners, seventy-two 5K runners, seventy-nine walkers, and sixty-four dashers.

2010:    A competitive (timed) 5K Promenade walk was added.

Information prior to 2009 is provided courtesy of the Seaside Downtown Development Association.  Records of this historic Seaside tradition are patchy (at best), so we are asking anyone who has further information, photos, or personal stories to share them with us.  Please submit your comments on our Seaside Beach Run Memories page, or if you prefer, you can e-mail us at info@SeasideBeachRun.org or call (503) 738-8304 to contribute your Seaside Beach Run memories!