This year marks the 49^th year of the Lake Oswego Lake Run set for Saturday, May 3. There must be some good reasons why runners have tackled its hilly terrain for more than four decades so we checked in with a couple of last year’s early finishers to see what keeps runners coming back.

Amy Cantor, a Lake Oswego resident and physician and researcher at OHSU, was the third female finisher last year with a time of 41.57 minutes. For the past three years, she has beaten her time from the year before placing fifth in 2022 (44.58), and fourth in 2023 (42.49.) She doesn’t enter many races, preferring to run with friends, her husband and on trails and averages 30-40 miles a week.

David Easa, is a software engineer who has lived in Lake Oswego for the last two years and was the third male finisher last year with a time of 36.18 minutes. It was his first Lake Run and he plans to run again this year. He has clocked many race miles over the years including the Boston marathon twice and Honolulu and averages 20-50 miles per week.

What do you like most about the Lake Run?

Amy: “I love that I can walk out my door, jog down the street and be at the starting line. It’s fun, convenient and makes me feel like a local.” She is usually joined by her husband, and in years past her kids participated in the Kids’ Dash. She also loves turning off McVey and getting to cruise down South Shore for a bit where the beautiful view of the lake provides a wonderful distraction for a good half mile.

David: “I like how different each piece of it is – you have State Street which is urban and flat, then the climb up McVey which is challenging but not brutal followed by some rollers on the back stretch and then the race is on when you get on Iron Mountain.”

What’s your least favorite part about the Lake Run? Both would probably identify the climb up McVey as the most challenging but each has a different strategy for tackling it. Amy likes to accelerate at the beginning of a race, letting the adrenaline and the excitement of the start propel her to get out ahead of the crowd, knowing that once she gets to the top she’ll be rewarded by a bit of cruising when she can establish her pace. David recommends pacing yourself up McVey so you’re not giving anything away but you’re not blowing yourself up either.

What advice would you give to first-time runners? Both David and Amy recommend familiarizing yourself with the course so you know what to expect. That McVey climb can be an unwelcome surprise if you’re not prepared for it. And it’s good to know that once you turn off Iron Mountain on to Berwick, there is still work to be done so you don’t let up too soon.

How do you prepare for the Lake Run? In addition to getting his weekly miles in, David works with an online coach who gives him running workouts that he follows and which he feels have really helped improve his performance. While Amy usually runs the Lake Run course in the opposite direction during the year, she will run it clockwise a couple times before the race to prepare herself. Last year, she joined her daughter, who entered the 5K, doing sprint intervals on the track, and believes that helped improve her time.

What’s one thing you’d like to change about the Lake Run?

Amy: She’d prefer that there be separate lanes at the finish for 10K and 5K runners as opposed to merging them as is done now. While she enjoys the excitement and all the cheering, it can be tricky navigating the strollers and extra runners.

David: He suggested reversing the course direction every other year to keep it interesting so instead of tackling McVey at the beginning, it would be waiting for you towards the end.

You can register for the Lake Run online with proceeds benefitting Northwest Housing Alternatives.

The Lake Oswego Lake Run is just one of the endless reasons to love Lake Oswego and love living here! Be sure to subscribe to our blog for more reasons. Just click the “Sign me up” button in the top right-hand column and receive weekly updates. We’re Lake Oswego Realtors who live and work here and would love to make your next move your best one!

Kevin Costello 503.939.9801 kevin.costello@cascadehasson.com

Riley Costello 971.322.6205 riley.costello@cascadehasson.com