FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Starting at Rainier City Park in Oregon, the R2L 10k route will follow the Columbia River Highway up and over the historic Lewis and Clark Bridge. After crossing the mighty Columbia river into Washington participants will run or walk along the paved Highlands Trail and wind through residential streets before following the gravel path along the banks of Lake Sacajawea. The course will end at in Lake Sacajawea Park at Martin's Dock, located at Kessler Blvd. and Hemlock St. in Longview.
The Lewis and Clark Bridge will be CLOSED to vehicle traffic for 90 minutes starting at 8:00 AM to allow race participants to cross and will reopen promptly at 9:30 AM. We expect heavy traffic in the morning hours leading up to the closure as participants are shuttled to the starting area, and for a time after it reopens to regular traffic. We encourage local commuters to plan ahead for the bridge closure and traffic delays, and make alternate plans to avoid needing to cross the bridge the morning of the event if at all possible. We deeply appreciate your patience, and the assistance and support of the many agencies working together to provide a safe and fun event for our community.
*If necessary, Emergency Vehicles will be allowed to access the bridge during the closure. If you hear sirens or see an emergency vehicle, please stay to the right lanes and the vehicle will pass race participants on the left.
The Lewis and Clark Bridge is only open to runners/walkers until 9:30 AM. If you haven't finished crossing the bridge by this time, you will be picked up by a "sweeper bus" at 9:30 AM and dropped off on the other side of the bridge to finish the course. Completion of the bridge crossing is approximately 3.25 miles into the course, and you will have 90 minutes to make it to this point. Please take your pace and abilities into consideration while planning for this event. While race staff will remain to assure all participants finish the course safely, the timing system at the finish line will be in place until 11:30 AM.
While we understand that kids can be tough to keep up with, children ages 10 years of age & under who are accompanying a paid adult participant are REQUIRED to stay with a parent/guardian at all times for the safety of all participants. The R2L 10k Bridge Run is held along state highways, an interstate bridge, and on city streets. While there will be many other walkers, runners, staff, volunteers, and safety personnel along the course, they cannot ensure the safety of unsupervised small children so please keep them with you.
We also know that many youth under the age of 18 are involved in cross-country or other sports and are incredible athletes in their own right. Registered participants who are 11 years of age & older will be allowed to complete the course unaccompanied at the discretion of their parent/guardian. Unaccompanied racers ages 11-17 must be escorted to the shuttle bus and met at the finish line by their parent/guardian.
Packet pick up will be available at the Recreation Office, 2920 Douglas Street, Longview, WA during the following days/times:
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- Thursday, June 4th: 2 - 7 PM
- Friday, June 5th: 10 AM - 5 PM
- Saturday, June 6th: 9 AM - 3 PM
Participants without a bib will be prohibited from participating in the R2L 10k Bridge Run. Please ensure that you or a friend/family member will be available to pick up your packet. Individuals picking up packets on behalf of others will need to provide the following:
- Participant's first and last name (used at registration)
- Participant's city of residence (used at registration)
- Their name (for record-keeping purposes)
IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO PARK AT THE FINISH LINE IN LONGVIEW, shuttle buses will be available at Martin's Dock, Lake Sacajawea Park in Longview prior to the race to take you to the starting area in Rainier. Street parking is available at and around the lake, and the bus loading area is located on Kessler Blvd.
- Shuttles will begin loading at 6:30 AM at Lake Sacajawea.
- You must be in line by 7 AM if you are planning on taking the shuttle to the starting area.
- Participants who arrive after 7 AM are not guaranteed a spot on the shuttle and may need to provide their own transportation to the starting area.
IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO PARK AT THE START LINE IN RAINIER, shuttle buses will be available at Martin's Dock, Lake Sacajawea Park in Longview after the race to take you back to Rainier. Parking is available at at the boat launch at Rainier City Park, and in the surrounding streets.
- Shuttles will begin loading at 9:45 AM at Lake Sacajawea and will continue until 11:30 AM.
Please note! Children must be able to sit independently to use the shuttle bus service for safety requirements. If your child requires a car seat, would be held in arms, or would be otherwise unable to sit in their seat without assistance please provide your own transportation to and from the start and finish areas.
Yes! Gear check will be available for small personal items and clothing. Please be mindful to "pack light" to help Gear Check running smoothly.
In your race day packet, you will receive a small white plastic bag and all items must fit within the bag. Bring some dry comfortable clothes/shoes for the finish line or stay warm until the start of the race and turn it in before you take off – you’ll be glad you did!
- Time & Location
- Gear Check Drop Off: Located near the start line in Rainier along the road. Look for a tent with signage near the Longview Parks and Recreation white van.
- Gear Check Drop Off Time: 7:00 – 7:40 AM *Van leaves promptly at 7:45 AM to get your gear to the finish line before you do
- Gear Check Pick Up: Located near finish line in Longview, near playground.
- Gear Check Pick Up Time: Available until 11:30 AM
- Guidelines
- You must show your bib number when dropping off and picking up your gear.
- Do not check valuable items such as wallets, keys, money, jewelry, cell phones, cameras, music or electronic devices, etc. The event is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items.
- Please use a large marker and write your bib number LARGELY on your bag, if you forget to do this before the race make sure a volunteer gets your number written on the bag.
- Loose articles of clothing or other personal items that are not placed in a marked gear bag will not be accepted at gear check.
- Once you have checked your bag, you will NOT have access to it again until after the race.
- All bags must be picked up by 11:30 AM on the day of the event.
- Any items left in Gear Check after the event will be returned to the Longview Parks and Recreation Office. Email or call 360.442.5400 for inquiries regarding missing items.
Portable restroom facilities will be available at the starting and finishing areas. A portable restroom will be available on the Longview side of the bridge for mid-race emergencies (~mile 3.2), and public park restrooms are located along the route at the Lions Club Shelter (~mile 5.45) and Elks Memorial Building (~mile 6.0) at Lake Sacajawea Park.
Water stations will be available at the following locations:
- The base of the bridge coming in to Longview
- Lake Sacajawea Park as the route crosses Nichols Blvd. from 26th
For the safety and enjoyment of all participants, pets of any kind are not permitted at this event. Service animals that are required by a person with disabilities that meet the ADA definition and requirements are welcomed.
Only collapsible strollers are allowed due to space constraints on the shuttle buses. Participants with strollers must be able to quickly collapse the stroller without staff/volunteer assistance and should be able to secure the stroller to their wrist or waist via a strap or leash during the race for safety.
No bicycles, unicycles, skateboards, roller skates or in-line skates, scooters, wagons, or other equipment is allowed on the course (with the exception of collapsible strollers).
We have partnered with Negative Split Timing to provide electronic chip timing to all participants. The race bib you are provided has a small chip attached to the bottom corner that is coded specifically with the information you provide when you register, so DO NOT switch your race bib with someone else! The chip starts timing as soon as you cross the start line and will record your time at the 10k Line and once you cross the finish line. A volunteer will help you remove your chip at the finishing area. To ensure accurate results, bibs must be worn on the front of your body and on top of all layers of clothing.
The Traveler's Inn, Quality Inn & Suites, Town House Motel, & Best Western Aladdin Inn are all within a 7 minute drive of the shuttle bus and finishing area at Lake Sacajawea Park in Longview, WA. You can find a full list of Longview/Kelso area lodging HERE.
Your adventure awaits! Visit one of Longview's 17 city parks, tee off at the Mint Valley Golf Course, embark on a self-guided tour of Longview's infamous squirrel bridges, enjoy favorite local places to grab a bite or a drink, or head out to experience some of the best adventuring in the Pacific Northwest!