BEAVERTON, OR. – August 1, 2004 – The streets of downtown Portland were a sea of blue early this morning as more than 10,000 runners, clad in light-blue Nike Dri-FIT running shirts, took part in the first Nike Run Hit Wonder 5K/10K run. Along the way, runners were energized and entertained by live performances of legendary “one-hit-wonder” bands who were stationed along the racecourse, including A Flock of Seagulls, Tone Loc, General Public, Tommy Tutone and Dramarama, appearing courtesy of VH-1’s “Bands Reunited” series.
Special guest emcee Randy Jackson, Grammy Award-winning producer and one of the judges of the popular television show “American Idol,” kicked off the festivities this morning, which featured a live performance by the Run Hit Wonders, a band that specializes in 1980s one-hit-wonder music.
After the 5K and 10K runners finished, Nike hosted an awards ceremony in Pioneer Courthouse Square, where top-finishing male and female runners in both the 5K and the 10K races each won a limited edition Run Hit Wonder guitar provided by Gibson Guitar, as did the top-finishing wheelchair and crank chair racers:
10K Male:
Jacob Stout, Brush Prairie, WA
31:58
10K Female:
Liz Wilson, Eugene, OR
35:08
5K Male:
Marc Davis, Portland, OR
14:30
5K Female:
Annie Davis, Portland, OR
17:25
Wheelchair:
Jim Fox, Beaver, OR
37:08
Crankchair:
Ian Jaquiss, Portland, OR
27:18
All participants received a finisher medal and then packed into Pioneer Courthouse Square on a beautiful, sunny summer morning in Portland to hear a special post-race concert by legendary 1980s icon ban Devo.
Gary DeStefano, president of Nike’s USA region, announced that in celebration of the success of the Run Hit Wonder race in Portland, NikeGO is donating $100,000 to Portland Parks & Recreation. [NikeGO is Nike’s long-term initiative whose mission is to get kids more physically active, and provide them the means to do it.]
The money will be used to fund two programs called Project Inclusion and Positive Activities for Children, which together will provide free access to Portland Parks & Recreation activities to nearly 1,000 low-income children in Portland, starting this fall.
“NikeGO is proud to support Portland Parks & Recreation with this $100,000 donation, because we believe all kids should have the opportunity to be physically active, whether they want to join a team, play a sport or learn to dance,” said DeStefano, who ran in the Run Hit Wonder race with his family. “This is a continuation of the community spirit that Nike Run Hit Wonder has brought to Portland in the weeks leading up to today. It’s about coming together as a community, and celebrating the fun and positive benefits of physical activity.”
