Community Sports notes: Entrants rising for Vancouver USA Marathon

Participation in the third Vancouver USA Marathon races should increase over the 2012 event.

Race director Brian Davis said on Monday that about 750 have registered for the full marathon and 1,500 for the half marathon, numbers similar to the total number of finishers for the inaugural race in 2011.

The races take place on Sunday, June 16, starting and ending at Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver. Friday is the deadline to register online, though runners can sign up at the fitness expo that takes place on Friday and Saturday prior to the race.

The cost through Friday is $100 for the marathon, $75 for the half marathon. Those who register at the expo on June 14 or June 15 will pay $125 to enter the marathon and $95 to enter the half marathon. Prices also increase after Friday for the Freedom 5-K a fun-run held on Saturday, and the 1.2-mile Saturday kids marathon.

The first Vancouver USA Marathon in 2011 had 800 finishers, and another 1,427 finished the 13.1-mile half marathon. Those numbers dropped last June, with 567 finishing the marathon and 1,155 completing the half marathon.

Davis, whose company Energy Events stages a variety of runs each year, said he is working to make the Vancouver USA Marathon a unique event on a crowded racing calendar.

“My whole goal was to set us apart and become a destination marathon,” Davis said.

With that in mind, Energy Events is staging a brewfest to coincide with the marathon. Summer Brewfest will bring 20 craft brewers to Esther Short Park on race weekend. Those registered for the marathon or half marathon will have access to the brewfest all weekend.

In another change from the first two Vancouver USA Marathon, the sports and fitness expo will be held Friday and Saturday in Esther Short Park instead of at the Hilton Vancouver.

To register online, visit www.vancouverusamarathon.com.

CCRC summer 5-Ks are off and running

Jesse McChesney of Vancouver won the second race in the Clark County Running Club 5-kilometer summer series.

McChesney, 25, finished the May 29 race at David Douglas Park in 15 minutes and 56 seconds, seven seconds in front of 40-year-old Oscar Bauman.

Teresa Lees of Washougal was the first woman finisher, with a time of 20:06.

A total of 92 runners completed the run. Results are in the Community Sports Scoreboard.

The series continues on Wednesday and on June 12 at Grass Valley Park in Camas. The Wednesday runs continue through the summer. They start at 7 p.m., with registration open at 6:30 p.m.

Cost for CCRC races is $2. Club members run for free.

For details, visit www.ccrunning.org.

Area riders win mountain bike races

Ricardo Medina of Vancouver and Sean Vergillo of Camas were among the race winners during Thursday’s third race day in the Gorge Mountain Bike Short Track Series at Cascade Locks, Ore.

Medina finished first in the Category 3 race for men 19 and older, and Vergillo won the single-speed race.

The five-race series continues on Thursday and on June 13. Registration begins at 4 p.m., with the first race at 5:30 p.m. and finishing with the pros race at 7:40 p.m.

To learn more, visit www.gorgeshorttrack.com.

La Center hoops clinic is next week

A basketball clinic for boys and girls entering grades 5-9 will be held June 12-14 at La Center High School. The clinic runs 9 a.m. to noon each day and is supervised by La Center boys basketball coach Jon Schroeder. Cost is $35.

Dragon boat clinic for vets set for June 23

A dragon boating clinic for disabled veterans will be held on June 23 at Vancouver Lake.

The free event runs 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. All equipment is provided.

The program is sponsored by the Vancouver Lake Disabled Veterans Water Sports Program. For more information and to sign up visit www.dvwsp.org.

COMMUNITY SPORTS NEWS is published each Tuesday. To submit items, send e-mail to paul.danzer@columbian.com, or call 360-735-4521.