Circle the Bay 30K running race highlights the joy of running on the Oregon Coast

One of the most unique running races on the Oregon Coast – and one of the only ones to trot through the hometown of the late, great Oregon distance runner Steve Prefontaine – returns to North Bend and Coos Bay this summer. Circle the Bay 30K, held Aug. 10, 2024, is a challenging but invigorating race that courses 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from Ferry Road Park in North Bend, along the Coos Bay waterfront, through the Eastside Neighborhood and back up to the finish in the park. Organized by the South Coast Running Club, the race can be done as a fun, three-person relay or a single-person run or walk.

“Circle the Bay 30K is one of our highlight running races that really showcases our region and taps into the running heritage we’re known for through the undeniable presence of running great Steve Prefontaine,” said Janice Langlinais, Executive Director of the Coos Bay-North Bend-Charleston Visitor and Convention Bureau, more commonly known as Oregon’s Adventure Coast. “His legacy in the running world lives on through races like Circle the Bay 30K, which gives runners a true taste of the beauty and charm of our slice of the southern Oregon Coast. There are waterfront views, characteristic neighborhoods and lovely parks throughout North Bend and Coos Bay.”

As a relay, Circle the Bay 30K includes three legs. The first is fairly flat, the second is moderately rolling and the third is best saved for the hill runners on each team. Relay teams and individual runners will start the race at 8 a.m.; walkers kick off at 6:30 a.m. All runners, fans and volunteers can celebrate their race with a barbecue and beverages at the finish in Ferry Road Park, complete with craft brews donated by Coos Bay’s own 7 Devils Brewery.

For visitors coming from out of town to run Circle the Bay 30K, Oregon’s Adventure Coast has lodging options for all tastes, from unique hotels and motels to vacation rentals, RV parks and picturesque campgrounds.

Circle the Bay 30K Details

• Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. Relay teams and individual runners start at 8 a.m., walkers at 6:30 a.m.

• Start and finish line are at Ferry Park Road in North Bend near the iconic Conde B. McCullough Memorial Bridge.

• Participants, fans and volunteers are invited to a post-race barbecue with beverages at the finish.

• Registration is $275 for relay teams and $75 for individuals. Prices increase after July 19.

• There are age divisions as well as categories – men, women and mixed.

• More information is available from Oregon’s Adventure Coast and at the race registration site.

Circle the Bay 30K is just one of many upcoming runs at Oregon’s Adventure Coast. The annual Prefontaine Memorial Run, in honor of Coos Bay’s own Steve Prefontaine, is set for Saturday, Sept. 21, in Coos Bay, while the Run Whiskey Run race, held on the renowned Whiskey Run Mountain Biking Trails, takes place Saturday, Oct. 12.

The Prefontaine Memorial Run is a challenging 10K road race around Coos Bay that finishes on the Prefontaine Track at Marshfield High School over one of Pre’s favorite routes. Other Pre-related attractions for runners and visitors include a bronze likeness of the famed distance runner at the Coos Bay Visitor Information Center, the Prefontaine Gallery at the Coos Art Museum, which showcases his awards and memorabilia, and the stunning Pre Mural in downtown Coos Bay.

For more information on all things running, visit Oregon’s Adventure Coast.