Spring Classic Duathlon, Half, 10k & 5k

RUN, WALK & WHEN ONE SPORT IS NOT ENOUGH, JUST DU IT!

Time to dust off the cobwebs and start the multi-sport racing season with the 42nd Annual Spring Classic Duathlon, Half Marathon, 10K & 5K! It's time to see who stayed in shape all winter!

Choose the Duathlon or any of the 3 different running distances, and let's Spring into Action!

DUATHLON - 5K RUN / 12.91 MILE BIKE / 5K RUN

The Spring Classic Duathlon is a great opportunity for triathletes to shake off the winter-season rust and for the duathletes to get in an early-season race.

It will be a flat & fast course...perfect for those new to the sport of Duathlon and Triathlon! And for you veterans, this will be a fabulous opportunity to go all out and see who stayed in good condition this winter!

There are no railroad tracks on the bike route – just 12.91 miles of smooth pavement ideally suited for fast times. The course is virtually flat, and for the novice athlete, the sense of safety from not having to be overly concerned with vehicle traffic makes this event an ideal introduction to the world of multi-sport racing.

Spring Classic Half Marathon, 10K & 5K - This beautiful, flat and fast course along the pancake flats of the Vancouver Lake Regional Park is a wonderful event to set as a goal to keep your conditioning strong through the winter and spring cold and rainy seasons!

Our start/finish location at the Vancouver Lake Regional Park will allow us to relax and share our racing stories once we all finish! We will have high-energy music, fun vendors, food, and who is ordering the sunshine?!

Enough Hibernating! Wake up, Get out & Race at the Spring Classic!

(PARKING IS INCLUDED WITH REGISRATION FEES)

Spring Classic 10K

The 10K will be along the paved path at Vancouver Lake Regional Park.

Click here to view the Online 10K Course Map.

Spring Classic 5k

A flat and fast course on Vancouver Lake Regional Lake Park.

Click here to view the Online 5K Course Map

Awards & Course Records

5k:
2021 – Cameron Zipper 17:09

2021 – Mary Stevens 19:40

10k:
2019 – Jeremy Gourd 37:16

2018– Juliet Hochman 42:18

Half Marathon:
2018– Tanner Barlow 1:19:16

2019 – Charmion Freifeld 1:29:53

Sprint Duathlon:
2012– Andrew Langfield 1:10:32

2017– Juliet Hochman 1:22:24

We think everyone is a winner but we also like to reward the Speedsters!

Awards will be presented to the Overall Top 3 Male & Female champions and Overall Masters Male & Master Female champions (who will then be removed from the individual age division awards). Awards will also be presented to the 1st thru 3rd place finishers in each individual age division, as well as the Clydesdale, Athena, and Relay Divisions.

Individual: 15 and under, 16-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80 & over.

Clydesdale’s (men 220 lbs & over)

Athena’s (women 165 lbs & over)

Duathlon Relay Teams – Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed Divisions.

NOTE: Awards Ceremony will commence at the conclusion of each event, once we have enough finishers to announce. Winners need to pick up their awards – we are not able to mail awards.

Award Criteria: 
If you choose to race in the Clydesdale (220+ pounds) or Athena (165+ pounds)categories, you are not eligible for Age Group awards due to USAT restrictions. You must choose one or the other.

Based on USAT age categories, if your birthday is prior to December 31st of that race season, you will race in the older age group even if you haven’t celebrated your birthday yet. Due to USAT sanctioning you will ‘age up’.

           

CDM CAREGIVING SERVICES, AINSLSEY'S ANGELS MULTIPLE SCHOOL PROGRAMS, AND CLUBS

Why Racing Events Inc. is proud to support the CDM Caregiving Services, Ainsely's Angels, School Sports programs, and various local non-profits. As a result of your participation in these events, we have exceeded $3,000,000 in donations and funds raised for various local clubs, teams, and non-profits. Some of the sports programs we support rely completely on our donations for their yearly funding. We want to thank all of you for participating in this event allowing us the opportunity to extend this support to high school athletes

We are very thankful to the athletes, sponsors, vendors, partners, and volunteers who contribute to the success of our events, allowing us to offer this support!

Spring Classic Duathlon, Half Marathon, 10K & 5K

04/26/2026 
7:45 am for Half Marathon
8:00 am for 5K & 10K
11:00 am for Duathlon

There are no refunds issued for your registration (no exceptions); however, we do understand that things come up that are beyond your control. As a customer service initiative, we do offer the ability to transfer your registration to next year’s event, another upcoming Why Racing Event that year, or to transfer your registration to another participant. There is a $20 fee for this deferral process, you can only defer and transfer up to 10 days before the event.

Here are some instructional links for these actions.

How Do I Defer my Race?
How Do I Transfer my Race to Another Person?
look up my registration and claim it to my account?
 

Duathlon-5K RUN / 12.91 MILE BIKE / 5K RUN

DUATHLETES: We moved the event back to Vancouver Lake Regional Park, we believe this is one of the prettiest courses in the Northwest! You’ll be running and biking the pancake flats between Vancouver Lake and Frenchman’s bar with magnificent views of Mt. Hood, the Columbia River, and Vancouver Lake. Both the runs and bikes will be, flat and fast.

5K RUN 1 & 2: Run starts in Vancouver Lake Regional Park following the paved path heading Northwest out of the park, over the bridge, and returning back to Vancouver Lake Regional park along NW Erwin O Reiger Memorial Highway.

12.91 MILE BIKE: Bikes will leave the transition area along the path out of Vancouver Lake Regional Park turning Southwest onto NW Erin O Reiger Memorial Highway. Turn right onto NW Lower River Road, and continue on this road until the turnaround at the farmhouse.  This course is an out and back.  The road will be closed except for local traffic, please be aware of your surroundings while on the road.

Click here to view Run1

Click here to view the Bike Course

Click here to view Run2

Event Highlights & Post-event Festivities

Free Beer & Post-event meal

Technical Runner’s t-shirt & Finisher’s Medal

Sense of accomplishment – Feels so good

7:00 AM – Start of the Half Marathon

8:00 AM – Start of the 5k & 10K

11:00 AM – Start of the Duathlon

Post-event festivities immediately after your race at Vancouver Lake Regional Park. Runners, stick around after your race and cheer on the Duathletes, and be inspired to add another sport to your training and racing plan! One sport is awesome but two is even better!

Can I register on Race Day? Can my friend pick up my packet? Can I get a refund? Can I transfer my registration to another race or athlete?

• All registration and packet pickup-related questions can be found under the main navigation heading titled “Registration & Packet Pickup”. If you cannot find the answer to your question, please email us at registration@whyracingevents.com

What are the rules for Duathlon?

• We currently adhere to the USAT Rules for Triathlon & Duathlon. Please click here to review the complete list of USAT Rules. Important rules include no drafting, you must wear a helmet, and music is not allowed on the bike. We do allow music during the runs only – with only 1 earbud in and 1 earbud out so you can hear instructions and other racers and for the safety of all. NO MUSIC/IPODS etc during the Bike course. This is for everyone’s safety.

Are headsets, earbuds, or any type of personal music device allowed in this race?

Absolutely no music devices are allowed during the bike segment for obvious safety risks and will result in immediate disqualification. During any running segments, we prefer for athletes to NOT use music devices to maximize safety, assure a fair competitive environment and assure athletes can hear all course marshal instructions. With that said, we also understand that many athletes rely on music to help endure the challenge of running. To accommodate the needs of our athletes while still assuring maximum safety and a fair, competitive environment, here is the arrangement that we can accommodate.

• If you chose to use a personal music device, you must always keep one ear open for instructions so only one ear-bud can be used at any time.
• If you are using a personal music device with two earbuds, you will be immediately disqualified. Trust us, we don’t want to have to enforce a disqualification but in order to assure the safety of all athletes, this is a very important rule.
• We also request that if you chose to use a personal music device you will need to keep the volume to a minimum to assure all instructions can be heard.

How does the Relay Division work for the Duathlon?

• After body marking, please place your gear and bikes at the designated “Relay” area in the Transition. The biker will place a Biking sticker on the bike and helmet and the runner will wear a bib for Run1 & Run2. During the competition, you must tag (touch fingertips) at the designated Team Start location upon finishing or starting your segment of the event. VERY IMPORTANT: If you are the cyclist or 2nd runner, please take your ankle strap off so you can freely walk around the venue without crossing over timing mats affecting your results. Be very careful NOT to cross any Blue timing mats as you are wandering around prior to the start of your individual leg. If you cross a Blue mat after the race has begun, your time will start at the time you stepped on the mat. We want you to have a good race and accurate results, and it is very important to understand this element of the timing process. Be sure to all go to the finish line to cheer on your last runner so you can all collect your medals!

Will there be on-site mechanical/bike support?

• Yes, there will be a bike mechanic on-site to provide high-quality Bike Service/repairs, parts, and accessories for sale.

Where can I find lost items?

• Any equipment that is unmarked will be returned to the stage during the event. After the event, we will take to the Why Racing office and you can contact us to locate us. Please come to the event with all personal belongings well marked with your name.

What should I do if my shirt doesn't fit?

• If the size of the shirt you ordered does not fit, we will be hosting a ‘Shirt Swap” after the event in the Information area. We cannot guarantee you will be able to swap, since it will depend on leftover shirts, but we will do our best to accommodate your request.

Do I have to use a road or racing bike for the Duathlon?

• No. We welcome any type of bike as long as it is functioning properly with brakes and endcaps at the end of your handlebars.

Do I have to run?

• No, you could walk, jog, wog, hop or prance your way to the finish line. As long as you get there of your own volition, that is acceptable!

Will there be water on the course?

• Water and Gatorade stations will be at the Turnaround spots on both Run1 and Run2 for the Duathlon and approximately every 2 miles along the Half Marathon, 10K & 5K courses. You will have to carry your own hydration and fuel on your bike during the bike courses.

Will there be bathrooms on the course?

• We’ve ordered Porta-potties for the start/finish! Hopefully, the lines will be minimal plus you can use the restrooms located in Vancouver Lake Regional Park. For the Duathlon, since this is a shorter race and you return back to the transition area multiple times, there are no bathrooms along the course. We will have a couple of porta-potties located along the run courses at mile 3 and mile 7/9.

Where should I tell my friends and family to go to cheer me on?

• The best approach for your family, friends, and cheerleaders is to park at Concordia also. They can see you start and finish along 112th. To watch Duathletes, supporters can take a short walk to Marine and see you run back, bike out, bike past you, bike in, run out and finish! Tons of action for them! Or they can just hang in the Home Depot parking lot after you start and then they can sit and enjoy the music and watch Duathletes run in, bike out, bike in, and then head to the finish line to watch you finish. Be sure to tell them to make signs for you, bring cowbells, and bring you flowers for the finish. Especially if this is your first race, you’ve got to celebrate! It’s a big accomplishment! 

Since Marine Drive will be closed, it will be difficult for supporters to watch you anywhere else along the course

Are Dogs allowed on the course?

• Unfortunately, due to insurance requirements, only Service Dogs are allowed on the course and must start at the end of the race after all other participants have started.

Are strollers allowed on the course?

• Yes for the run-only events, but due to insurance requirements, strollers must start at the end of the race after all other participants have started. Be very careful and aware of your fellow athletes as some areas are narrow.

Spring Classic HALF MARATHON

The Half Marathon will be along the paved path and road at Vancouver Lake Regional Park and Frenchman’s Bar Park.

Click here to view the Online Half Marathon Course Map.

Vancouver Lake Park:

Post-event festivities immediately after your race is at Vancouver Lake Regional Park. Runners, stick around after your race and cheer on the Duathletes and be inspired to add another sport to your training and racing plan! One sport is awesome but two is even better!

If you are unable to pick up at any of the times listed below, please email us at registration@whyracingevents.com to make other arrangements.

Saturday, April 25th, 10 AM - 3 PM

Foot Traffic Vancouver

305 SE Chkalov Dr #122, Vancouver, WA 98683

Sunday, April 26th, 7:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Vancouver Lake Regional Park

6801 NW Lower River Rd, Vancouver, WA 98660

Please email registration@whyracingevents.com to have your bag ready in advance for groups of 2 or more - it will save a ton of time.

Cost includes:

• Commemorative T-shirt
• Finisher Medal
• Cascade Timing
• Awards/prizes
• Post-race refreshments including food and Backwoods Brewing Company Beer – WILL RUN FOR BEER!
• Music
• Early season competition
• Sense of Accomplishment
• Sense of pride knowing you’re helping out a number of school and sports programs
  
  Shirts guaranteed only to those participants that have registered a month before race day. Quantities/sizes limited for those registering after that date. There will be no post-race shirt orders.

   PRICING SHEET:

Registration Details | Spring Classic Duathlon (whyracingevents.com)

Vancouver is known for its fabulous restaurants and nightlife. We would love to suggest Mt Tabor Brewing: The Pub, one of our season partners who support Running, Triathlon & Multi-sport races all year!

Visit Vancouver: Vancouver, WA Hotels, Attractions, Restaurants, & Events (visitvancouverusa.com)

DoubleTree by Hilton, Vancouver, WA wants to save you 15% when you book your stay with them in Vancouver.

Vancouver has so much to offer so come for the entire weekend and make it a fun and memorable RACE-cation! Although a weekend is not nearly enough to see all the beauty in this area, so feel free to extend your stay or be sure to come back for one of our other local races. You can check off one bucket list item each time you visit – there really is that much to see!

Check out how much fun we had last year at the Spring Classic Duathlon!