Run With Neil in Scappoose will get your heart pumping, and for a good cause

Dust off your athletic shoes and prepare to get your cardiovascular system pumping at the fourth annual Run With Neil event at Scappoose High School.

The event, which honors Neil Hoffmann, a runner at Scappoose High School who died in 2020, starts at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12.

Run With Neil features 1K, 3K and 5K events on different routes, and is open to everyone in the community. The 1K route is a run/walk for all ages and abilities, according to Melissa Weldon, who handles social media for the race. The first run starts at 9 a.m. and the event concludes at approximately 11 a.m.

The registration fees are $15 for the 1K fun run, $25 for the 3K event and $35 for the 5K. Because Run with Neil is a nonprofit, money raised will go back into the community.

Weldon said, “We also have a virtual component, if you’re not local or you won’t be there, and that’s a $30 race fee. You can participate in whatever pace you want, or wherever you’re at that day."

Registration information is available at www.runwithneil.org .

Weldon said the run was founded in honor of her cousin, who was a runner at Scappoose High School.

"We created this local nonprofit with the intent of breaking down barriers and providing youth with the resources for mental and physical wellbeing,” Weldon said, noting the goal is to provide full-body wellness.

Weldon reflected on Hoffmann being part of her family.

"He was such a treasure to all of us," she said. "He went to Scappoose High School. He ran track and cross country ... Running was his passion and he really enjoyed his time there."

Weldon continued, "He just found a lot of joy and peace while he was running. I know that when he was starting to talk about college, he would have loved to have gone to a school that offered some type of running program ... That was something he always was inspired to do."

Speaking of the race, Weldon said the nonprofit has created mentorships with youngsters of all ages.

“We have sent athletes, as well as coaches, to camps and conferences, aimed at improving their physical and mental health,” she said. “We really want to make sure that every youth is able to have the opportunity to participate in a sport, that there are no financial barriers for them to be able to participate.”

Weldon is announcing a big change this year with the Run With Neil event.

“We were given the opportunity to team up with the Scappoose High School cross country team and put together the very first Run With Neil Invitational," Weldon said. "They’re going to have high school and middle school runners from all over the state participate in that event.”

Weldon said there’s a potential for close to 400 runners at the Invitational, which will take place the same day, shortly after the run.

“We’re just excited because it gives us an opportunity, not only to reach these other youth, but the community can come out and support all these different schools and our local runners,” Weldon said. “They can stick around after the event. We’re going to have local vendors and businesses. We’ll have free face painting and music.”

The nonprofit also announced their launch of a Run With Neil Scholarship Program at the high school in 2024. Three seniors were awarded scholarships to pursue a higher education or trade school.