Wood You Rather

Wood You Rather

Wood You Rather is a checkpoint run held at Mt Tabor Park in Portland. Runners receive a map at the start showing highlighted checkpoints and choose their own routes through the park to visit as many checkpoints as possible within a two hour race window. There is no pre set course.

Participants decide which trails to take and in what order to collect checkpoints. Route choices affect distance and climb; typical routes are around 5 to 8+ miles with about 800 to 1000+ feet of elevation gain, though actual distance and gain depend on each runner's plan. The winner is the person who records the most checkpoints and returns to the finish in the fastest time.

The event offers solo and team categories. Teams consist of three to six people. Team ranking uses the lowest number of checkpoints found by any team member and the average of team members' times. If a team member finishes after the event cutoff the team is marked Did Not Finish. Kids 12 and under may race for free but must be registered and run alongside a registered parent or guardian.

Every finisher receives a Wood You Rather mug. Top male, top female, top non binary, and top team receive prizes. Donuts and coffee are provided at the finish. Parking is available in the park and on nearby neighborhood streets and can be limited. The race acknowledges the traditional homelands of the Cowlitz, Clackamas, and Atfalai Tribes. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.