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The messy perch that runners flock to sits about 110 miles south of Portland. Drive past the wineries and farms and billboards and dispensaries—so many dispensaries—along with the sign that proclaims Linn County the “grass seed capital of the world.” Exit here, banking into this city of roughly 170,000, with the perfect nickname, TrackTown USA, for an ongoing and unprecedented event. Head east, up the hill from downtown. Turn onto the narrow street that leads into a nondescript neighborhood, winding left, right, then left again.
Follow the GPS, please, because this particular rock is not beautiful in the traditional sense, not sculpted, not striking, not towering. In other words, it’s not easily found. But it does come up on Google Maps, which speaks to its significance, both historically and (especially) this week. Watch out for the dude pedaling uphill on a bicycle, the joggers toiling in packs past recycling bins and the landscapers mowing lawns. Look for the rusted-out van missing wheels and the rhododendron garden at Hendricks Park, then bank right again to remain on Skyline Boulevard.
